Foreigners make up more than a quarter of all unemployed in Germany
"If we look beyond the dry figures and try to calculate the unemployment rate among the non-native population, regardless of age, it turns out to be twice as high as among native-born residents," she shared her concern with journalists and called on the "black-yellow" coalition to "do something immediately."
Something must be done, and no one disputes that, but neither Böhmer nor other politicians are proposing any radically new solutions. All of them, regardless of party affiliation, emphasize for the hundredth time the need to 'strengthen integration measures' as the only way for foreigners to get an education and, consequently, a chance in the labor market, as well as to 'strictly punish those who evade language courses,' mainly financially, by cutting benefits.
Unfortunately, the 'dry figures' have aroused more interest among the authorities than the attempts of experts from the University of Duisburg to explain the essence of the problem. Yes, foreigners make up more than a quarter of all unemployed in Germany. But is that not because almost all of them (excluding EU citizens and late resettlers) are, with rare exceptions, unable to have their higher or secondary vocational education diplomas recognized in Germany? According to Kasim Kavak, a member of the works council at Robert Bosch GmbH, 'fostering integration as such and involving migrants in the active German labor market should be achieved not through sanctions, but by creating real opportunities for people to prove themselves as worthy members of society. And at the very least, not to put obstacles in their way by forcing highly qualified doctors from Ukraine to wash floors in hospitals and Russian engineers to learn taxi routes. By giving everyone a chance to apply their strengths and skills, we will save the German economy, which is in dire need of personnel.'
Back in December 2009, the same Maria Böhmer stated the need to simplify the procedure for recognizing diplomas obtained abroad, and even promised to present a 'new concept' in the first quarter of the current year. And what? The federal states are still not ready to develop a uniform procedure - and one based not on a comparative analysis of grades in certain disciplines, but on practical testing of the applicant's knowledge and skills, could, according to modest estimates by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, bring more than half a million qualified migrants, currently unemployed, into the 'primary' labor market.
On this issue, however, the federal authorities cannot put pressure on the states and so far limit themselves, regarding the 'strengthening of integration,' to demands to increase spending on teachers and on... education, namely, the organization of advisory services whose responsible employees would competently convey to foreigners the idea that, living in Germany, one must learn German and look for work. For example, as firefighters or traffic police - does not Böhmer propose introducing a 'migrant quota' for employment in the public service sector?
Retraining as a firefighter would probably be easier for a candidate of technical sciences from Russia than to have his diploma recognized and head a design bureau. Or not easier - but perhaps cheaper for the federal budget?
Elena Obodovskaya.
Russkaya Germaniya