The German government has given educated migrants another chance
"The measures being taken aim, on the one hand, to eliminate the shortage of qualified personnel, and on the other, to increase the effectiveness of the integration process," said German Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan at a meeting of the Federal Cabinet. In her opinion, from an economic point of view, this is an absolutely necessary step – especially considering that in the next ten years, due to projected demographic changes, the country will face gigantic problems related to a shortage of specialists.
Until now, only EU citizens and late resettlers have a legal right to recognition of their diplomas. But even this does not apply to all professions. "Education issues are of national importance," said Schavan. "But they are regulated by state laws, and each of the 16 states has its own peculiarities. The government decision just taken should be a clear signal to start constructive negotiations to unify the regulatory framework. A working group from our ministry began consultations with state governments last year."
At the same time, the minister noted that it is not about blanket recognition of all foreign diplomas without exception: "Perhaps for some specialties there will be only partial recognition," she said, also emphasizing that "the government will ensure that these processes will in no way lead to a devaluation of German professional requirements."
The Cabinet decision was also supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Integration, Maria Böhmer. "About half a million people will benefit from these innovations," she stated. "Many of them currently hold jobs that do not correspond to their professional qualifications. For example, doctors often work as cleaners in hospitals. But this is unacceptable when a specialist with a higher education is forced to perform work of a significantly lower qualification.
"The Cabinet's decision is an important signal for such migrants. From now on, they can be confident that their potential will be recognized," the commissioner emphasized, appealing to the federal and state governments to resolve all issues in this area during 2010. "We cannot afford to continue wasting the resources we have," Böhmer concluded.
Sergei DEBRER.
Russkaya Germaniya