Nahles calls for a "new welcome culture" in Germany - too many emigrants
Created: 2022-12-20 05:16
By: Lisa Mayerhofer
Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Board of the Federal Employment Agency, provided information on the situation on the German labor market.
© Nicolas Armer/dpa
"The spirit of immigration is not yet there in Germany," criticizes employment agency boss Andrea Nahles in an interview.
Too many people are emigrating from Germany again.
Berlin – Germany is an immigration country.
Because of demographic change, there is no scenario "where we can get by without major immigration," Andrea Nahles, head of the Federal Employment Agency (BA), recently told the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
.
Now Nahles is also calling for a new welcoming culture in order to attract more skilled workers from abroad and keep them in Germany.
Nahles: “We don’t have specialists coming to us, but people”
"The spirit of immigration is not there in Germany yet," said the head of the employment agency to the news portal
t-online
on Monday.
"It's not professionals who come to us, but people.
And that's why we also need the willingness not only to see them as professionals, but to welcome them as people.
Otherwise it will not succeed.”
Nahles sees the real problem in the high number of emigrants.
Around 1.1 million people came to Germany last year alone.
“Actually a great number.
We could be really proud of that," says the BA boss.
"Unfortunately, 750,000 people emigrated at the same time." According to Nahles, they complained that they were working below their qualifications because their professional qualifications were not recognized.
"They would also like to have their family with them, but they are not allowed to come."
Immigration: Germany competes with English-speaking countries
According to Nahles, if Germany were to reduce the number of emigrants, part of the skilled worker problem could be solved.
She criticized the "many hurdles" for immigrants.
“It starts with the fact that people have to learn German in their home country.
But there are not German teachers everywhere.
And then interested parties have to pay for the course themselves, which some simply cannot afford.”
Germany competes with English-speaking countries.
English is a language that many learn in school.
"And finally, it often takes months to get an appointment at the consulate for a visa."
(lma/dpa)