Work in Germany. immigration reforms in Germany. Germany is facing a labour shortage that is contributing to the souring inflation and is planning on reforms to its immigration system to make itself more attractive to skilled workers.
Labour Minister Hubertus Heil and Interior Ministry Nancy Faeser wrote in an article for business newspaper, Handelsblatt, that they wanted to turn Germany into an immigration destination.
“If we want to attract clever people, we have to offer them more than just simpler processes,” they wrote. “We’re competing in the search for skilled labour with countries like the United States, Canada and Australia. We’re talking good jobs, jobs with collective wage bargaining.”
The search for skilled workers around the world has intensified, especially in industries that normalised working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, narrowing the wage differentials between wealthy and emerging economies.
Politicians in Germany hope the country’s strong labour protection and human rights laws can help attack migrant workers.
“Germany has for a long time struggled to make itself visible as an immigration country,” said Misbah Khan, migration policy specialist and member of parliament for the Green party, which is part of the centre-left coalition government. “Our strong civic rights are an important plus point.”
An announcement by the Legislation will allow migrants already in Germany more time to find jobs, but two ministers said they wanted to attract people outside the EU who don’t have an automatic right to work on the bloc.
These changes include: Measures allowing industry trade associations to recognise foreign qualifications, sparing applicants the lengthy process usually needed to check their equivalence with Germany’s certifications.
The ministers wrote that other countries do not have this hurdle. “Qualified workers steer wide of Germany,” they said. Recognition by a trade association would entitle people coming to Germany from overseas to a one-year visa to look for a job.
Source: Reuters