Germany Woos Foreign Workers With New Immigration Rules

On Friday, the German parliament passed legislation that makes it easier for skilled workers to immigrate to Germany. 

This comes at a time the European country is facing a shortage of workers in various sectors including hospitality, health, and construction. Government reports that by the end of 2022, two million posts remained vacant. The new law will provide a points system similar to Canada's, which will take into account the skills, qualifications, and language ability of a person. Additionally, foreign vocational qualifications will be more widely accepted. 

Economy Minister Robert Habeck welcomed the law, saying that the shortage of workers is one of the main issues Germany is facing. However, there have been some criticisms of the law, particularly in regard to allowing some asylum seekers already in the country to obtain residency if they have the necessary qualifications and a job offer or are already employed.

"We are lowering barriers to immigration. In the future, it will be much easier for companies to recruit foreign skilled workers." Hebeck said.  

Lawmaker Thorsten Frei of the conservative political party CDU, while speaking to the RND media group, lamented that the ruling coalition "is sending out a signal to the world that virtually anyone who has somehow made it into the country can stay." Employers have long been advocating for more lenient immigration regulations in Germany. Earlier this year, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry declared that the problem is having a colossal effect on the economy, adding that half of the businesses they surveyed were experiencing difficulties finding workers.