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Scene from a hotspot of the shortage of skilled workers: a German hospital
Photo: Marijan Murat/ dpa
It wasn't that long ago that Bavaria made headlines with the deportation of trainees who should have stayed in Germany - and that against the protests of the companies concerned (click here for the report).
But the increasingly clear shortage of skilled workers is apparently also causing a rethink in Munich.
In any case, Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) is now calling for more speed in issuing visas to skilled workers in a letter to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens).
"The visa procedures at the German missions abroad take far too long and form a massive obstacle for companies and skilled workers," the letter says.
In this context, Herrmann refers to the same criticism from entrepreneurs and “prominent political actors” that he has received.
He assumes that the long waiting times for visas are a widespread problem that affects German diplomatic missions in various countries.
Herrmann emphasized that the problems in the Western Balkans are particularly serious.
»From there, waiting times of more than twelve months are known for visas based on the Western Balkans regulation.
This is not acceptable.
It shouldn't be any easier to apply for asylum at Germany's borders than to get a regular work visa at a German embassy.
The need for skilled workers cannot be properly covered in this way.«
Ireland as a role model?
Herrmann called for an overview of waiting times for visas as a first step towards improvement.
Such attempts have so far been unsuccessful.
He also thinks it is essential to make the diplomatic missions fit for the increased requirements in order to shorten waiting times.
"The missions abroad must be strengthened in terms of organization and staffing in a timely manner, the digitization of visa procedures must be accelerated and - if necessary - tasks must also be taken over by the new Federal Office for Foreign Affairs."
Bavaria's Health and Care Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) also called on the federal government to quickly develop innovative concepts to bring foreign nursing professionals to Germany.
"Winning qualified nursing staff from abroad to work in Germany is a contribution to counteracting the shortage of staff," he said.
It needs as little bureaucracy as possible and as much attractiveness for the skilled workers as possible.
“One way to do that would be to revise the federal document review requirements.
Due to the increasingly individual requirements for post-qualification for foreign nursing professionals, there is hardly any market for general adjustment measures," said Holetschek.
Countries like Ireland show that there is another way: foreign nurses do not receive a notification with a detailed assessment of deficits, but have the opportunity to prove their skills in a standardized test.
After that, they received immediate professional approval.
beb/dpa