Germany sets cornerstones for liberal migration reforms - government source

Germany’s ruling coalition has set the foundations to reform the immigration system. This will make Germany more attractive to skilled workers and fill thousands of vacancies on the labour market, a government source said on Friday (21 October).

According to a source, the reforms will include the introduction of an "opportunitycard" that allows people to search for jobs in Germany using a points system. It includes language skills, professional experience, and connection to Germany.

Germany's interior minister and labour ministers are determined to make Europe's largest economy a destination for immigrants. As the demand for skilled labour grows, so does Germany's public pension system. This will create a risk for economic growth and a demographic time bomb.

Hubertus Heil, Labour minister, said that Germany needs skilled specialists in order to be economically successful.

According to a Labour ministry study, the gap between skilled worker demand and supply will grow to approximately 240,000 by 2026.

These cornerstones will be decided by the Cabinet in mid-November. A draft law is expected to be published in the first quarter of next year, according to a source.

Reforms include easing the process of recognising foreigners’ qualifications, obtaining longer term residencies upon employment, and eliminating barriers to long-term recruiting of top academics.

People who come to Germany to study a language would be allowed to work part-time up to 20 hours per week. University graduates and professionals should have lower minimum wages to be eligible for the EU-wide Blue Card.

The Federal Labour Agency will no longer require a certificate that no foreign applicant is being replaced by a German applicant to remove the priority check for foreigners who are entering Germany to begin an apprenticeship.

Non-EU citizens who are qualified should be allowed to travel to Germany without formal recognition of their professional qualifications.

Berlin even considers a "contingent, limited entry without regard to qualifications" for the event of an urgent shortage of workers in certain industries.

Germany plans to expand its offer of language courses abroad and make them more affordable. It plans to increase the number of vocational training programs that include integrated German language learning, particularly in the nursing field.

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