Germany adopts new law facilitating employment of out-of-EU workers

The German government has adopted the law on the immigration of qualified workforce, which should enable the employment of workers from countries outside the EU from 2020, HINA reports.

Germany needs skilled workers and foreign workers, German Minister of Interior Horst Seehofer said after the cabinet's session.

German ministers of economy and labor, Peter Altmeier and Hubertus Heil, praised the new law and said that it would secure equal opportunities and clear rules in the policy of qualified workforce immigration. Altmeier said that this was a historical turnpoint in Germany's approach to immigration.

The minister of labor noted that demographic changes and digitalization posed a great challenge for Germany and that it lacked around 1.2 million skilled workers at the moment. He emphasized that the immigration requirements were still high and that, along with additional training, the command of German would be of crucial importance.

One of the most important new features is the abolition of the rule that a foreign worker can only be employed if the employer proves that no adequate workers from Germany or the EU could be found for that job.

Bundesregierung Deutschland

employment in Germany

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foreign workers in Germany

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Horst Seehofer

Petar Altmeier

Hubertus Heil