Germany will hire 60,000 workers from non-EU countries each year under its new immigration plan

Germany has introduced proposed reforms regarding immigration, vocational training and promoting immigration from Western Balkan countries to address labor shortages in Europe’s largest economy . Labor Minister Hubertus Heil said: “Securing our skilled labor base is one of Germany’s most important economic tasks for the coming decades. »

According to the Ministry of Labor, the number of vacancies in 2022 stood at almost two million, a record. One of the reforms is a new immigration law aimed at removing obstacles for migrants, particularly those from outside the European Union.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the law would form the basis for a new start in migration policy and that anyone who could contribute to the country’s economic success as a qualified worker was welcome. The bill, seen by Reuters, proposes to increase the number of workers from countries outside the EU by 60,000 people per year.

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Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said: “If people bring with them professional experience or personal potential, we will give them the opportunity to gain a foothold in our country. labor market. “

The law provides three avenues for foreign workers to enter the country. The first requires a diploma recognized in Germany and an employment contract. The second requires a minimum of two years of professional experience in a relevant sector and a diploma or professional training.

The third is a new “opportunity card” aimed at people with the potential to find work, based on a points system that takes into account qualifications, language skills, work experience, links to Germany and age.

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However, migration expert Herbert Bruecker told Reuters that while the bill contained sensible ideas, it did not go far enough. He suggested the opportunity card requirements were too complex to obtain a temporary visa to seek work.

The German Cabinet also approved an education law that gives young people the right to paid training outside the workplace, with the Federal Labor Agency paying up to 67% of net salary for the duration of the training . In addition, the government decided to extend regulations to job seekers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, which were due to expire at the end of the year.

Germany can now recruit up to 50,000 workers from these countries each year, compared to 25,000 previously. Bruecker welcomed the extension, noting that employment rates among these immigrants were between 97% and 98% three to five years after settling in Germany.

(With inputs from Reuters)