Germany is urgently seeking workers from abroad at least 400,000 each year.
But is it an attractive destination for highly qualified foreigners? For some, it seems, having to learn the German language puts them off.
Jessica James is 31 years old, holds a degree in business administration, and has nine years of work experience at various banks.
She seems to be the type of professional Germany could use, in view of its tight labor market.
She currently lives in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, but would like to leave.
“I am a Christian and Pakistan is a Muslim country. That is the main reason I want to come to Europe,” she told DW by phone.
Perhaps she could move to Frankfurt am Main, one of the world’s most important financial centers? No, James said.
Germany is out of the question. To find a job, you need to learn the German language, which is difficult.
“Aside from that, Germany is also rather strict with issuing visas. And I have heard that the Germans are quite harsh toward people with brown skin and to immigrants in general.”
That is why the young banker would rather emigrate to the Netherlands.
OECD sees great potential:
Unfriendly people, a difficult language, tricky to get a visa? It sounds as if hardly any skilled workers would want to move to Germany.
On the contrary, says Thomas Liebig — Germany is attractive.
The migration expert from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sees “great potential for highly qualified workers from abroad who are interested in Germany.”
In past studies and surveys of international professionals, Germany has mostly scored very well, even though it often came in behind English-speaking countries like Australia, Canada, or the US.
Liebig and his colleagues have recently surveyed about 30,000 people who visited the German government’s website for skilled workers from abroad.
That means people who are currently interested in a job in Germany and are researching possibilities.
Their biggest hurdle is that they don’t know how they can get a position in Germany because they cannot read German job advertisements.
Most of the jobs that are in demand in Germany today can be done well by anyone with good English, he says, citing software developers as an example.
“In thousands of companies around the world, this is a matter of course.”
Germany needs a new culture towards immigrants, Pyak believes.
“If we want the best to come to us, then we also need to make an effort for them. Otherwise, only those who have no other choice will come.”
The “tinkering” with immigration laws, on the other hand, is less important, according to Pyak.
It is intended to allow candidates to take up work in Germany without recognized qualifications and catch up on that process later.
