The German economy is increasingly dependent on skilled labor immigration from non-EU countries to cope with demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers. The reforms in immigration law implemented by the German government have only had a limited effect. Further measures are needed to improve international talent acquisition and support employers in their recruitment efforts.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face major challenges when it comes to recruiting international skilled labor. They often lack the expertise, experience and capacity for strategic recruitment. A decentralized German administration, complex immigration law and long processing times make the recruitment of third-country nationals even more difficult.
Future immigration policies should reduce the practical and bureaucratic hurdles for SMEs. All procedures relating to immigration for employment purposes should be bundled in order to highlight the relevance of the topic for Germany as a business location.
The recommended measures include the institutional separation of asylum migration and immigration for employment purposes as well as the establishment of a federal agency for employment-related immigration that supports employers in hiring international skilled labor and efficiently processes all administrative and residence procedures. These measures would be more oriented towards the needs of the German labor market and strengthen skilled labor immigration from third countries.
You can read the entire publication „Internationale Talente für den Mittelstand: Maßnahmen für eine Verbesserung qualifizierter Zuwanderung“ here. Please note, to date the analysis is only available in German.
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The series informs in a concentrated form about important positions of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on current topics. The individual issues present key findings and recommendations, offer brief analyses, explain the Foundation's further plans and name KAS contact persons.
