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TELL US: What do you think of Germany’s new immigration reform plans?

Germany is speeding ahead with plans to loosen up immigration rules for skilled workers. What do you think of the reforms - and could anything be improved? Let us know for a future article.

Published: 13 July 2023 16:37 CEST
Updated: 16 July 2023 08:02 CEST

A man works in a factory in Dresden.

A man works in a factory in Dresden. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Kahnert

As the Germans would say: es ist soweit. The government’s sweeping immigration reforms have been passed by both the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, and all that remains is to sign it into law.

The Skilled Worker Immigration Act is designed to make it simpler, quicker and easier for qualified people to move to Germany. In future, for example, people will only need two years of professional experience and two years of academic training to qualify for a skilled worker visa, as opposed to needing a qualification in a specific field.

They will also have the opportunity to come to Germany to look for work on a new points-based visa known as an Opportunity Card. The salary threshold for getting an EU Blue Card will be lowered, and international students will also be able to work alongside their studies in order to finance themselves while in Germany.

People will also benefit from more relaxed family reunification laws, and people who move to Germany after March 1st, 2024, will be allowed to bring their parents and parents-in-law to live with them.

If you need a refresher on any of the details of the law, check out our recent articles:

We’d love to hear your thoughts on some of these changes and what, in your view, Germany could improve about its immigration law.

Let us know your opinion by filling in the survey below.

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Germany prevents hundreds of illegal border entries ahead of Euro 2024

German authorities put temporary border controls in place on June 7th in the run up to the UEFA European Football Championships in a bid to clamp down on any violence.

Police announced that shortly before the start of the tournament on June 14th, 1,400 unauthorised entries were detected during border checks.

A total of 900 people were prevented from entering Germany or deported during this time, while 173 arrest warrants were served, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

“This shows that our measures are working,” Faeser said, adding that the aim is to recognise and stop possible violent offenders at an early stage.

According to the minister, 19 perpetrators wanted by police due to politically motivated crime were also found, while 34 people smugglers were arrested.

The extended checks are taking place at the borders with Denmark, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg where no checks were previously carried out.

READ ALSO: Germany to check passports at Danish border during the Euros

Travellers from the Schengen zone may also face random checks during air travel, at ports or on buses and trains.

The controls are in force until July 19th – a few days after the Euro 2024 final on July 14th.

Travellers should be prepared for possible longer waiting times at borders – and should carry valid ID as well as any travel documents they need to enter Germany.

READ ALSO: What to know about Germany’s extra border checks for Euro 2024

22,000 officers on the job

Security is a huge factor for the event that sees 24 teams competing in several German cities. Millions of visitors from all over the world are heading to Germany to stadiums and fan zones across the country.

A total of 22,000 federal police officers are on duty to ensure security during the event – the largest deployment in the history of Germany’s police force, according to Faeser.

“They are protecting our borders, airports and rail traffic,” said the minister.

Existing controls at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland were recently extended by six months until mid-December. The ministry said the aim is to continue combating smuggling offences and limiting irregular migration.

Spike in number of unauthorised entries on eastern borders

It comes as the number of migrants at the German borders with Poland and the Czech Republic – along the so-called ‘Belarus route’ – has risen again.

Police recorded 2,215 unauthorised entries on this route between the beginning of January and the end of May, authorities told DPA.

In January and February there were 26 and 25 respectively, in March the number rose to 412, in April to 861 and in May, according to initial data, to 891.

A total of 1,021 unauthorised arrivals have been detected in Brandenburg since the beginning of the year, 867 in Saxony and 327 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

But despite this recent rising trend, the overall figures are significantly lower than last year. By the end of May 2023, federal police had recorded 6,000 unauthorised entries on the ‘Belarus route’, as reported by Mediendienst Integration, which processes police statistics.

Poland and the EU have accused Russia and Belarus of deliberately helping people from crisis regions to enter the EU without permission by providing visas and logistics since 2021.

Poland has now erected a 5.5 metre high fence at its external EU border. But according to Polish border guards, people are still trying to cross the border. Since the beginning of the year, 16,500 attempts have been registered, compared to 11,200 in the same period in 2023.

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