Reports in Germany suggest the country’s government is to set to introduce new immigration legislation by the end of this year.
Earlier this week, the Süddeutsche Zeitung published a few details from a leaked preliminary draft for a new immigration law.
The draft shows that the government is set to strip away key existing regulation. Most notably that people from outside the EU can only take a job if there is no German or EU citizen who is able to do it instead.
New workers from outside the EU will also no longer be limited to working in occupation of which there are considered to be acute shortages of. Therefore, in theory, anyone with a recognised qualification and a work contract could move to Germany.
Under the proposals, which Süddeutsche Zeitung say will be approved in the next month or so, non-EU skilled workers will be able to move to Germany for six months to look for work, or to freelance, as long as they are able to support themselves and can speak German.
In recent years, Germany has been facing wide-ranging skilled worker shortages. In fact, according to the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), some 60 per cent of German businesses say that the lack of employees is a threat to their growth.
Nurses, care workers, construction workers, carpenters, electricians, and IT specialists are in particular demand and employers and business owners in these sectors have long been pushing for more access to foreign workers.
Traditionally, Germany has not been particularly open to foreigners from outside of the EU, although in the past 24 months the country has been taking steps to try and be more welcoming to non-EU immigrants.
Article published 22nd November 2018