Today the Bundestag is deliberating on the Skilled Immigration Act. So far, the hurdles for immigrants have been high, including for foreign doctors – and they are causing a “brain drain” in the countries of origin.
Rosh Al Husseini is sitting in his friend Nafes’ apartment in Krefeld, practicing German grammar. The 25-year-old came to Germany via Lebanon at the beginning of March. Rosh proudly displays a folder full of certificates and credentials. The entire process took a year, from the application to the Münster district government to the issuance of the visa.
This brought him a step closer to his dream of working as a doctor in Germany. From the very beginning of his medical studies in Syria eight years ago, the young man knew that he would eventually emigrate.
Al Husseini stayed in the country
But while many of his relatives and friends fled Syria in 2015 and 2016, Al Husseini stayed in the country and moved to Damascus to study Qamishli in northeastern Syria.
“If I had gone to Germany earlier, I might not have studied,” he says. But life in Syria became increasingly difficult due to the consequences of the war and economic decline.
Obstacles to obtaining a visa
Al Husseini’s legal journey to Germany was long and complicated: Syrians can only apply for a visa for Germany in neighboring countries. Al Husseini had to go to Jordan: He waited months for the appointment at the German embassy, and three months later the visa was there. Rosh even had to take the required German test in Jordan because there are no official test centers in Syria.
For many, this means a financial hurdle. In addition: Before entering Germany, you have to prove that you have a so-called blocked account. Around 12,000 euros, i.e. the annual standard requirement, must be deposited with a German bank.
“I had to owe four people for that,” says the Syrian. A big burden for him, because at the moment he has no additional income and puts everything he can aside.
Account transfers to and from Syria are almost impossible due to sanctions. He had relatives in Germany who did this for him and also submitted the necessary documents to the Münster district government for him.
Syrians at the forefront of foreign doctors
In 2022, 5,639 of the almost 67,000 foreign doctors came from Syria, according to the statistics of the German Medical Association of December 31, 2022. This means that Syrians make up the largest group of foreign doctors in Germany for the fourth time in a row. One reason: the high number of refugees from Syria in recent years. Since 2012, the number of working doctors from Syria has quintupled.
In view of the great shortage of doctors in Germany, immigrant doctors would provide a noticeable relief in medical care, especially in hospitals, according to the German Medical Association on request. 15 percent of all active doctors in Germany now come from abroad.
According to the German Medical Association, what is good for Germany also leads to a “brain drain” in the countries of origin. At the same time, the shortage of doctors in Germany cannot be solved through immigration alone. An improvement in working conditions and an expansion of study places are also necessary.
Long procedures for third-country nationals
In Syria, Al Husseini would earn the equivalent of between 25 and 70 euros a month as a doctor, not enough to cover his living expenses. He believes that if the hurdles weren’t so great, more young doctors would emigrate.
Because the procedure is complicated for doctors from third countries. When applying for a visa, an individual check is carried out to determine whether the university degree can be recognized as equivalent.
If this is not the case, they have the opportunity to take a language test and a knowledge test, i.e. a kind of knowledge test, in Germany within two years. Only then can they apply for approval. Al Husseini has two years to do this: that’s how long his residence permit for Germany is valid.