Germany’s coalition government has agreed new immigration laws which will make it easier to attract foreign job-seekers to the country.
Germany is currently facing a shortage of skilled workers, resulting in massive job vacancies across industries. Many employers have long been calling on the government to relax the immigration laws to make it easier for skilled immigrants to move to the country.
According to the proposal, the government will no longer insist that companies give preference to German citizens in filling vacancies before looking for non-EU foreigners. It will also allow companies to hire foreign workers in all industries, irrespective of whether the sector is suffering from labour shortage.
The new proposed law will allow job seekers from outside the European Union to come to Germany for six months and find employment if they fulfil eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria include being able to speak German and possessing some form of higher education. They will also need to prove that they have enough funds to live in Germany without placing any burden on the welfare state.
According to the outline of the proposed law, non-EU citizens without higher education or, preferably, a concrete job offer, will not be able to live in Germany. The paper says: “We do not want any immigration from unqualified third-country nationals.”
The paper also notes that “Skilled workers from abroad are already making an important contribution to the competitiveness of the German economy.”
Article published 4th October 2018