This Wednesday (November 30, 2022), the Federal Cabinet intends to adopt the key points for a reform of skilled labour immigration. For the DIHK and the skilled trades it does not go far enough - and there are many unfilled positions.
The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) has welcomed the government’s plans for easier immigration of skilled workers, but has called for improvements in areas such as the salary threshold and the recruitment of trainees from abroad.
“In this regard, the key points paper still contains quite little. With the growing number of unfilled training positions in Germany, we must become even more pragmatic in order to increasingly attract trainees from third countries,” DIHK Deputy Managing Director Achim Dercks told the “Rheinische Post”.
In the discussion about skilled workers from other countries, Hans Peter Wollseifer, president of the skilled trades, called for a reorientation of the foreigners authorities and the German embassies abroad.
“The Immigration/Foreigner Administration authorities must become “welcome centers”, visas must be issued more quickly. Otherwise, people won’t come, especially, since Germany doesn’t have the very best reputation as an immigration country anyway,” Wollseifer said. New rules would have to be practical and be unbureaucratic. “Small businesses don’t have large human resources departments that can spend a long time dealing with Immigration/Foreigner Administration authorities.”
Wollseifer stressed that there were currently even significantly more vacancies in the skilled trades than the official 153,000, as many companies, out of frustration, were no longer even reporting their open jobs.
Meanwhile, Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil has justified the planned new immigration rules for skilled workers also with international competition for qualified workers. “We must not simply accept skilled labour immigration bureaucratically as in the past, but we must want it massively,” the SPD politician told the SWR capital city studio. "Our goal is the most modern immigration law in Europe, because we are competing with many countries for bright minds and helping hands.
That we get the right forces secures prosperity in Germany." Heil spoke of a “whole-of-government effort” for the federal, state and local governments, as well as for business.