“Without more skilled workers, we will not make any headway in terms of economic policy,” said Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) on Wednesday. The federal cabinet had previously decided on key points for easier immigration, and the government spreads out on 23 pages how significantly more qualified people should come to Germany. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) spoke of Europe’s most modern law on the immigration of skilled workers. The most important answers to the project.
Why does the traffic light coalition now want a reform of immigration law?
The German economy suffers from a chronic shortage of skilled workers and workers, companies can no longer find employees or have to search for them for a long time. The shortage is particularly great in restaurants and hotels or at IT companies. According to the Institute for Labor Market and Vocational Research (IAB), there were a good 1.8 million job vacancies in the third quarter of this year. And the problem is likely to get worse as baby boomers retire in the coming years. According to the IAB, without immigration of skilled workers and higher labor force participation – such as more women working full-time – there would be more than seven million fewer workers in Germany by 2035. Experts put the need for immigrants at 400,000 a year.
In the IT industry alone there are 100,000 vacancies, said Habeck. According to experts, this costs economic growth because companies cannot produce or offer their services as they would with sufficient staff.
Where is the Federal Government starting to facilitate immigration?
It should be easier for people to come to Germany from the start. There should already be better offers abroad to learn German, and the often lengthy visa procedures should become faster. In addition, the rules on who can come to Germany are to be relaxed. In the past 20 years there have been repeated changes to immigration law, but the coalition has not been satisfied with the previous immigration. Most recently, the Skilled Immigration Act 2020 allowed qualified people with foreign vocational training to come to Germany for six months to look for a job. So far, however, they have required a recognized professional qualification and knowledge of German, which represents a major hurdle for many.
What should change for professionals?
In principle, the income limits for qualified people from which they can work in Germany should be lowered, and people should also be able to come if their training has not yet been formally recognized by German authorities. This means, for example, that immigrants with a vocational qualification that is state-recognized in their home country and two years of professional experience can take up work in Germany without recognition. This applies to so-called non-regulated professions. These include around 330 apprenticeships such as automotive mechatronics and many academic jobs such as mathematicians. This does not apply to regulated professions such as doctors or teachers. A recognition of one’s own training as equivalent should then be allowed to be pursued in Germany while one is already working.
What is also new is that recognized specialists are no longer only allowed to work in their original profession, but also as specialists in other professions. The “opportunity card” is also remarkable: It is based on a points system that counts qualifications, language skills, professional experience, connection to Germany and age. If you get enough points, you can enter the country to look for a job. A trial job is just as possible with an opportunity card as a part-time job.
Will people without professional training be able to enter the country more easily?
Yes. The so-called Western Balkans regulation is to apply permanently; it has so far enabled up to 25,000 auxiliary workers from countries such as Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Montenegro to accept a specific job offer in Germany. The model is to include other countries in the future, and there should also be a quota for people who want to work in sectors with a particularly severe labor shortage. Prerequisite is a payment according to tariff and a socially insured position. According to Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP), the aim is also to pave the way for students and trainees, who will then be trained as specialists in Germany.
How does Germany intend to address migrant workers better?
The internationally sought-after IT workers should no longer have to prove their knowledge of German. In addition, the advertising for working in Germany should be increased, also by presenting it to interested parties as a “diverse immigration country”. More immigration is not only a task for the state, said Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD), “but also for society – we have to be inviting about it”.
Does this neglect local job seekers?
The federal government assures that this will not happen – if only because social tensions could grow and immigration could be rejected. “We will pull out all the stops to leverage domestic potential,” said Heil, referring to the unemployed or women who would like to work more. He referred to the citizens’ allowance, which from January onwards will focus significantly more on the training and further education of the unemployed. The law on the immigration of skilled workers is also intended to take precautions against “wage cuts,” as Heil said.
What are the reactions to the proposal?
Employer representatives welcomed the plans. “We need people to help us maintain our prosperity in this country,” said Employer President Rainer Dulger. Making immigration easier and less complicated must be a common concern. “Politicians are now setting the right course for this,” says Dulger.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz, on the other hand, criticized the plans. “We need more,” he said on ZDF – but Germany is not exploiting the existing potential in the country. Merz argued that there was freedom of movement for workers in the EU, but that the conditions in Germany were not good because of the bureaucracy and high taxes. The Union faction advocated that a specific job should continue to be a prerequisite for moving to Germany.