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IMMIGRATION

What Germany’s new controversial immigration laws mean for foreign workers

Earlier this month, Germany passed a series of controversial measures to make it easier to integrate migrants, as well as to deport rejected asylum seekers. Here's what it all means.

Published: 8 June 2019 08:59 CEST
Updated: 17 June 2019 12:39 CEST
What Germany’s new controversial immigration laws mean for foreign workers
Germany is struggling to fill positions across the board, including in the metal industry. Photo: DPA

What are they?

The new package of laws, passed on June 7th, aims to attract foreign skilled vocational workers with German language skills, including those from outside the EU, and promises them eased visa procedures and reduced red tape.

They were created last year in a bid to address the shortage of skilled workers in many regions and industries across Germany. The law is aimed at both foreign citizens who have applied for asylum in Germany and to those applying for a work visa.

But the new immigration rules are also being created to be able to deport rejected asylum seekers more easily.

READ ALSO: 'Historic day' as Germany takes step forward in easing immigration rules for foreign workers

Okay, so what does it mean for workers?

The new law on this part of the measure was passed with a clear majority in the Bundestag, paving the way for qualified workers from non-EU states to come to Germany.  

According to government estimates, the new rules will bring an additional 25,000 skilled workers to Germany every year.

As The Local has reported, Germany is desperate to plug the gaps in its worker-starved industries.

READ ALSO: Explained: How Germany plans to fight its drastic shortage of care workers

One of the most significant changes is getting rid of a rule that requires bosses to prove that neither a German nor an EU citizen could be found to fill a position before it was offered to an immigrant.

The new law is also set to relax restrictions that give preference to foreign workers only filling up so-called “bottleneck occupations” – jobs that have a lot of vacancies – including in the care sector, the IT industry and electrical engineering. This will open up other industries to skilled foreign workers.

Another part of the law is for skilled workers – such as cooks, metallurgy workers, builders or IT technicians – to be able to enter the country for six months in order to look for a job in Germany, provided they can financially support themselves.

When it comes to asylum seekers, the government has previously said it wants to make sure it doesn't deport the wrong people. So asylum seekers who speak German, have no criminal record and have some skills or willingness to learn are more likely to be allowed to stay although that's not guaranteed.

Lars Castellucci, spokesman for migration policy for the centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) parliamentary group, stressed that “Germany needs immigration”.

The care sector is another area where Germany is struggling to fill vacancies. Photo: DPA

Deputy SPD faction leader Eva Högl said that the legislative package should send a signal that qualified job seekers from non-EU countries can come to Germany.

However critics, such as in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), said it could increase the risk of people abusing the system to take advantage of benefits.

What about the other part of the laws?

The package of laws includes the “Geordnete-Rückkehr-Gesetz,” which roughly translates to Orderly Repatriation or Return Law.

This is intended to make it more difficult for rejected asylum seekers to evade an ordered deportation.

Essentially, the government wants to extend the powers of the police and immigration authorities so that fewer deportations fall through.

READ ALSO: Explained: The best and worst paid jobs in Germany

Among other things, there will also be sanctions on benefits for rejected asylum seekers.

In future, those awaiting deportation could also be accommodated in regular prisons. Currently they are placed in detention centres.

But the coalition's plan has been met with strong opposition. The Left party called it “unconstitutional.”

After a heated debate, a total of 372 members of parliament voted in favour of the coalition's plan and 159 delegates rejected the draft.

A total of 111 Bundestag members abstained. Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer of the centre-right Christian Social Union (CSU) said: “An obligation to leave the country must be followed by an actual departure.”

Why are these laws controversial?

Immigration has been a polarizing political issue since Germany absorbed more than one million refugees and migrants when Chancellor Angela Merkel of the CDU made the decision to keep the country's borders open in September 2015.

The large influx sparked a xenophobic backlash that saw the anti-immigration and anti-Islam AfD enter parliament in 2017 as the biggest opposition party.

It continues to split opinion in Germany. However, the head of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations, Ingo Kramer, was positive last year when he said that, of those who arrived since 2015, “more than 400,000 are in employment or training… even I am surprised at how quickly it's progressing”.

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

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