Germany needs more nurses – in Brazil every tenth nurse is unemployed. Federal Minister of Labor Heil and President Marinho signed a declaration of intent for “fair immigration” to promote the exchange of skilled workers.
In an effort to attract more skilled workers from third countries to the German labor market, Germany and Brazil have signed a declaration of intent for “fair immigration”. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil stated:
I am pleased that we will intensify the partnership between Brazil and the Federal Republic of Germany in the future”.
He is currently traveling through South America for several days with Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Heil signed the declaration together with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Marinho. The aim is to “create fair and simplified structures to promote the mutual exchange of skilled workers,” explained the Federal Ministry of Labor. This is mainly in the area of care.
In Brazil, “increasing opportunities are currently being created to train future nurses, especially for the German labor market,” it said. Now the competent authorities are to intensify their cooperation.
Brazil: One in ten nurses unemployed
It is “important to him that everyone benefits when it comes to the immigration of skilled workers,” explained Heil. According to the professional association Cofen, there are 2.5 million nurses in Brazil. The unemployment rate in the sector was more than ten percent in 2021.
The aim is to issue significantly more visas for foreign workers in the future. Last year not even 100,000 skilled workers from third countries came to Germany – “that’s not enough,” wrote Baerbock and Heil.
The government therefore wants to reduce bureaucracy and make family reunification easier, and to do this the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs “will process four times as many visas for skilled workers as before by the end of 2024”.
Brazil is the only country in the region with which Germany has had a strategic partnership since 2008. The largest country in South America is also Germany’s most important trading partner there. According to Heil, up to 200 Brazilian nurses are currently working in Germany.
Heil attends the University of Brasilia
Heil had previously campaigned for immigrants at a training center at the Catholic University of Brasilia (UCB). When he had the work explained to him in a seminar room by Pro-Rector Adriana Pelizzari via video presentation, he was greeted as “Mr. Hubertus”.
He said working and payment conditions in care must be improved in both countries. Pelizzari was open to student exchange and research collaboration. Heil further said that the University of Göttingen was interested in it. In Germany, they are desperately looking for nurses.
Hail with Nursing Graduates from a Catholic University in Brasilia.
Heil: Recruitment of nurses tricky
The minister called the recruitment of nurses a sensitive issue. According to the rules of the World Health Organization (WHO), countries that have too few nurses should not be chased away. If you cooperate better and set up fair rules, “also for fair migration, then that’s in everyone’s interest”. In the past, there were far too bureaucratic procedures and a deterrent immigration law.
The UCB is the second largest university in the Brazilian capital. Nursing staff with a bachelor’s degree are trained in a four-year course. BA currently supports more than 370 applicants for nursing professions.