For German politicians, alarming signals about a shortage of specialists are a thorn in the side. In the competition for researchers, engineers and other qualified specialists, Germany lags far behind other industrial powers, notes migration expert Steffen Angenendt in a study commissioned by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
In November 2007, the German government decided to facilitate access to the labor market for specialists in mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, and general engineers from ten new EU member states. In July 2008, Labor Minister Olaf Scholz admitted that in the past six months, only 19 engineers from Eastern European EU member states had expressed interest in the new working conditions. It became clear that Germany overestimates its attractiveness for foreign specialists. Only 466 university graduates who came from abroad to study decided to stay in the country after receiving their education.
A few months ago, the government decided to correct the mistake and proposed a so-called 'action program' aimed at reducing barriers for foreign specialists wishing to work in Germany. Migration expert Steffen Angenendt calls this measure a 'policy of baby steps': 'I think we have no time to waste. We already lack qualified specialists. In 10-15 years, the problem will become completely unsolvable, Germany's population is aging, and we cannot do without immigrants.'
Steffen Angenendt believes that Germany urgently needs to open its labor market to foreign specialists from around the world. For labor migrants, the expert proposes introducing either a points system to assess their qualifications or a system of personal invitations.
For now, the ban on recruiting non-European Union foreign labor, adopted in 1973, remains in effect in Germany. Since then, it has been significantly relaxed: exceptions have been made, in particular, for journalists, cooks, nurses, athletes, and entrepreneurs willing to invest more than half a million euros in the local economy.
Bureaucratic red tape scares off not only foreign specialists but also their potential employers. If a German company wants to hire a foreigner, the employment agency that grants the corresponding permit is legally obliged to check whether there are any applicants for the position among German or EU citizens.
The recipe for combating the labor shortage has been known for a long time. The positive experience of other states that have bet on qualified migrants is also known - for example, Canada, which uses the so-called points system. However, implementation is hindered by resistance from the CDU/CSU bloc. Changes are unlikely in the coming year: Germany's parties are too busy with the Bundestag elections, which will take place in September 2009.
Bernd Grässler.
Deutsche Welle