The possibility of skilled immigration
Indians and Colombians are interested in Germany

02/12/2022 10:44

The traffic light coalition wants to make immigration to Germany easier, also and especially to attract skilled workers. A new study now shows where interested parties can come from.

India, Colombia and Turkey are some of the countries where skilled workers are attracted to work in Germany. These are the results of a survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The survey authors approached nearly 30,000 international specialists between early August and mid-October. Most of them have expressed interest in immigrating for economic purposes through the “Make It In Germany” website.

According to information, 74 percent of those surveyed have a bachelor’s degree. 15 percent are IT professionals. Nine percent are not academics nor do they have professional qualifications. 70 per cent of those who said they were interested in a professional future in Germany were men. Nearly half of prospective migrant workers are single. Of the others, about 80 percent said they would bring their families with them.

Respondents mentioned finding a job as the biggest hurdle. Many don’t know where to look for job offers in Germany and how to contact potential employers. Many expected more support. Long waiting times for visas and complicated procedures were also mentioned as problems. However, they are considered less serious than the difficulty of finding a job remotely.

Attitudes towards migrants are very important

According to an OECD study, Indians are the largest group of skilled workers destined for Germany. 19 percent of the respondents were from India. One in ten is from Colombia. Nine percent of those interested are Turkish, five percent are Filipino nationals. Three out of five study participants stated that positive attitudes towards migrants in destination countries were very important to them. Only the quality of the education system and health and social systems were more frequently mentioned as determining factors.

The federal cabinet passed a plan on Wednesday to help attract more quality workers to Germany. The planned changes to the law will be accompanied by overseas advertising measures to make Germany better known as a target country for skilled workers. In addition, foreigners who do not yet have an employment contract but who meet certain other criteria can come to Germany more easily in search of work.