Germany’s parliament on Friday passed a law facilitating the immigration of skilled workers and their relatives to close gaps in the labor market. According to Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) of Labor and Social Affairs, it must become the “most modern immigration law” in Europe. Just like the Canadians, the Germans will work with a points system that measures whether potential migrants ‘add’ enough to German society.
The shortages of skilled workers are acute, and have already caused economic growth to falter in various sectors. Every year so many baby boomers retire in Germany that the gaps cannot be filled with their own people. “If we do nothing, Germany will be short of about 7 million workers in 2035,” Minister Heil said earlier. Financial Times. According to the German UWV, 400,000 skilled workers are needed every year to keep the industry running.
The changes are an attempt by the German government to make German immigration policy less complex. What is most striking is the way in which the Germans will recruit potential migrant workers abroad, based on a points system. Selection criteria are language skills, work experience, age and ‘ties with Germany’. Those who score sufficiently may come to Germany for a maximum of one year to look for work.
Foreigners who do not have a diploma but who are demonstrably good will soon also be welcome in Germany in the ICT sector. Germany also urgently needs extra employees in this sector if it is not to fall behind in the field of digitalisation. After the introduction of the law, specialized labor migrants may also take their parents and parents-in-law with them in addition to their partner and children. They must be economically independent, but they are not entitled to benefits.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of June 24, 2023.