Immigration of skilled workers, deportations, asylum seeker benefits – Germany’s Parliament has approved a comprehensive policy bundle about immigration and asylum. The new measures will open up the labor market to skilled migrant workers on the one hand, and facilitate the return and deportation of rejected asylum seekers on the other hand.
Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees says some 27,000 EU Blue Cards for skilled non-EU migrants were awarded in Germany in 2018. In many of the cases, they were extensions for existing residents.
18,000 refugees are currently training to work in the skilled trade sector, the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) says. That's a major increase from the year before. Overall, one in two refugees receiving vocational training in Germany are learning a skilled trade.
The greenhouses of Almeria grow much of Europe's fruits and vegetables. The region's dark secret: Tens of thousands of migrants are apparently taken advantage of to fill supermarket produce sections.
Most bosses in Germany abide by employment regulations when they take on refugees. But there are exceptions — including some bosses with a similar cultural background.
Berlin is streamlining bureaucratic efforts to attract skilled workers to the German capital with a new official department. The move is supposed to change the basic approach of governments that see migrants as a threat.
Portugal is in the midst of a crackdown on human trafficking after numbers of known victims more than doubled in the last few years. Most of the Portuguese cases are in the field of labor trafficking, with agricultural workers accounting for many of the victims.
A study has found that migrant labor from within the European Union will fall short of the economy's needs. To plug the gap, Germany will need 146,000 workers per year from non-EU countries.
From teachers to bookkeepers to police officers, migrants seeking jobs are in demand in Germany, particularly in the public sector. Nevertheless, they continue to face significant discrimination in the labor market.
Czech PM and billionaire businessman Andrej Babis has for years stoked anti-migrant sentiment in his country. But many foreigners, who came to the Czech Republic under dubious circumstances, work for his companies.
In Germany, there are 300 certified occupations. The profession of elderly care is one of them. Germany lacks skilled labor, especially in this field. To qualify, you need to fulfill certain requirements.
Refugees and other migrants hardly ever choose a destination country based on their understanding of the asylum system or migration policies there, or how much financial support they would get. Instead, family, friends and people smugglers, plus a fair amount of chance, are what determine a migrant’s destination.