The federal government wants to lower obstacles to the immigration of workers. The Skilled Immigration Act is intended to help with this. The Bundestag has now passed the law with the votes of the traffic light coalition. The Bundestag has “written history” with it, said Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) after the vote.
Germany will get “the most modern immigration law in the world” by passing the draft law, said Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD). She called the law a “giant step for the future of our country”. The next step must be “significantly reducing bureaucracy” in order to make the journey to Germany less difficult for qualified workers.
A week ago, the SPD, FDP and Greens agreed on a number of changes to the original draft law. Among other things, the so-called opportunity card based on a points system is new. The criteria for which there are points include language skills, professional experience, age and connection to Germany. In the future, IT specialists should also be able to come without a university degree, provided they can demonstrate certain qualifications. It should also be easier for asylum seekers who entered the country before March 29, 2023, who are working or have the prospect of a qualified job.
The reform is a “sham” criticized the deputy leader of the Union faction, Andrea Lindholz. Instead of paving the way for skilled workers, the level demanded by migrant workers in terms of training and language is being lowered. With its new points system, the traffic light coalition is creating a “bureaucracy monster,” said the CSU politician. She also criticized the planned changes that affect people who are obliged to leave the country with a job offer.
Left criticizes “two-class migration policy”
Lindholz is ideologically stubborn, said Green Party Vice President Konstantin von Notz. Her criticism was “far-fetched”. The parliamentary secretary of the FDP parliamentary group, Johannes Vogel, said that Germany was orienting itself on successful immigration countries such as Canada, New Zealand and Australia with this reform. “With new minds come new ideas,” he added.
Gökay Akbulut (left) said it was good that in the future professionals could bring their parents and parents-in-law to them even without proof of housing. The fact that working migrants without special qualifications are not allowed to do this is “a two-tier migration policy” that her parliamentary group rejects.
The Bundestag is still dealing with several other projects this Friday, including a law to curb supply bottlenecks for important medicines. The plans of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) provide for several monthly supplies as a safety buffer.