In order to cope with the labor shortage in its economy, Germany has decided to open the doors of immigration to qualified foreign workers outside the European Union. The new bill to make it easier to recruit foreign workers from outside the EU, announced a few months ago, was passed by the German Bundestag yesterday, Friday 23 June.
According to experts, Germany needs hundreds of thousands of skilled workers every year to cover the labor shortage. In order to meet this high demand, the federal government has decided to open the immigration floodgates and opt for foreign workers outside the EU countries. A corresponding draft law was also passed by the German Bundestag on Friday, June 23.
The new immigration law, approved by a majority of MEPs, will make it easier to recruit foreign workers from outside the EU, including Algerians. The new text will ease the entry requirements for foreign workers from third countries. Germany has introduced a points-based work permit system inspired by the Canadian model in its new immigration law.
Immigration: Germany relaxes work permit rules
The “points system” for work permits adopted by the German Bundestag takes into account in particular the professional experience of foreign workers, their age and their language skills. For foreigners who work in areas of tension, the entry requirements for German territory are relaxed, even if they do not have a state-recognized qualification equivalent to a German title. Highly qualified workers are allowed to bring their families to Germany, as long as they can financially support themselves.
Experts estimate that Germany needs 400,000 skilled immigrants every year to cope with the labor shortage. According to the national employment agency, 200 occupations will be affected in 2023, compared to 148 the year before; Bus drivers, hotel and catering trades and employees in the metal industry are new additions to the list of occupations under pressure this year. Nurses, childcare workers, construction and automotive workers also suffer from labor shortages, as do IT specialists, truck drivers, architects and pharmacists.