In general, integration into the German labour market has been successful for skilled workers from so-called third countries, i.e. countries outside the EU. However, they still face major bureaucratic obstacles, and the immigrant workers also complain of experiencing discrimination. These are the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), the research institute of the Federal Employment Agency.
Due to demographic change, labour migration from non-EU countries is becoming increasingly important. The Skilled Workers Immigration Act (FEG), which came into force in 2020, aimed to facilitate the immigration of workers from third countries. In 2023, a new record was indeed reached with 72,000 new arrivals after the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 92 per cent of women and men who have immigrated for employment purposes are in jobs that are subject to social security contributions or are in training or internships. 53 per cent of women and 70 per cent of men work full-time. The proportion of women working full-time is significantly higher than among foreign women overall or among women with German citizenship.
When choosing Germany as their destination country, economic reasons such as the expected income play the biggest role, but the good human rights situation and the educational opportunities are also mentioned as reasons. Almost a third cited friends, relatives or fellow countrymen already living in Germany as a reason.
Bureaucratic hurdles related to visas or the recognition of qualifications are frequently mentioned as problems for immigration. In the survey, experiences of discrimination in Germany were also frequently mentioned: 56 per cent of respondents reported discrimination when looking for a job or training place (22%) or at work (21%). 40 per cent felt discriminated against when looking for an apartment or house. Discrimination in everyday life, for example on the street, on public transport or in shops and restaurants, was also frequently mentioned. A good fifth felt discriminated against when dealing with public offices or authorities. At 93 per cent, one’s own ethnicity was most often perceived as the reason for discrimination.
These results confirm a study by the Tübingen Institute for Applied Economic Research (IAW), which examined the reasons for the emigration of many foreign skilled workers and which tuenews INTERNATIONAL has already reported on:
Why foreign skilled workers often leave Germany again | tuenews
Regarding the IAB study:
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Die Agentur für Arbeit in Tübingen. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian.
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