The German government has announced that it plans to enter migration agreements with six new countries to help plug the nationwide worker shortage and reduce illegal immigration.
The German government is currently planning to enter or is already in negotiations with six nations, with which it hopes to sign new migration agreements that will help keep a nationwide worker shortage from further spiralling and reduce illegal migration.
According to information from the Ministry of the Interior that has been shared with Tagesspiegel, Georgia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya and Morocco are the countries in question.
The agreements would be introduced in addition to Germany’s new immigration laws, which will see the country adopt a points-based immigration system that will make it easier for non-EU nationals to come and look for long-term employment. Both of the policies are to be introduced in the hope that migrant workers will help plug the country’s record-high worker shortage.
Federal Employment Agency director, Andrea Nahles has pointed out in the past that “Even if [Germany] leverage[s] all domestic potential, this will not be possible [to fill all vacant positions] without further immigration, also for demographic reasons. We need both labourers and skilled workers.”
With the birth rate at a 10-year low, an ageing population and a number of people leaving Germany, economist Monika Schnitzer claims that the country should aim to welcome 1,5 million new migrants each year so that public services and businesses have enough staff to meet the needs of the population.
Speaking to the Tagesspiegel, Minister for Migration Agreements the FDP’s Joachim Stamp said that EU-member contenders Georgia and Moldova were of the highest priority when it comes to signing the new agreements.
“For me, Georgia and Moldova are of the highest priority because irregular migration can be immediately reduced and both countries are interested in establishing a partnership,” Stamp said, “[...] over 10 percent of rejected asylum applications in Germany come from these two countries alone,” he explained.
By creating more legal routes for people from Georgia and Moldova to come and live and work in Germany Stamp also hopes to reduce the burden on the country’s municipalities and courts, which are responsible for processing cases of illegal immigration.
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