After Japan, Germany looks at upping skilled labour visas for Indians to 90,000 for reviving a stagnating economy

New Delhi: Facing a workforce shortage, Germany is planning to substantially increase the number of skilled labour visas it grants for Indians to 90,000 every year, from the current cap of 20,000, said ambassador Philipp Ackermann.

With a worker shortage worsening Germany’s economy, these visas will be used to fill gaps in sectors such as information technology, nursing and caregiving, Ackermann said in an interview.

Germany’s move follows Japan that is looking at Indian talent to fire up its economy. This assumes significance given that 570,000 job vacancies are unfilled in Germany, according to the German Economic Institute.

An India-Germany intergovernmental consultation is scheduled to take place later this month, where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to meet PM Narendra Modi to discuss the bilateral strategic partnership in trade, climate change, environmental protection, and defence and military partnership, he added.

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“One thing which is also very important for our strategic partnership, which is the skilled labour migration to Germany. Germany needs skilled labour on many levels like IT engineers, bus drivers, and caregivers. We have experienced a sort of migration influence from India which we found very, very good. And we have made a very good experience with Indian legal migrants coming to Germany. This will be a task we, together with the Indian side, will be shouldering in the months and years to come to increase the legal migration from India to Germany,” Ackermann told Mint.

‘50,000 Indian students going to German universities now’

“I say legal migration because illegal migration will not be tolerated, but we have 50,000 Indian students going to German universities now, which makes it the biggest non-German group in Germany, and the number is growing. We at the same time see also see a growing group of people who go as caregivers, or as apprentices to German craftsmen, to our shops. We now have 20,000 skilled labour visas a year. That's not much, and we can do much more,” the diplomat said.

When asked about its requirement of skilled labourer from India, Ackermann said, “It depends on the quality of the people. We don't set up a quota saying that we have to fulfill. I don't know, but it could be 90,000 or something. You have academic training or non-academic training like nurses. When you, for example, want to become a nurse in Germany, you must learn some German to pass a certain language test level, and you will be hired in no time. You would be surprised how many sectors are open for young Indians. We have this vocational training in Germany where you get to work in a craftsman's workshop and then go to school and you get a degree.”

“It's basically across the board. I think nursing and caregiving is one of the big areas. You can go from IT engineer to bus driver,” he added when asked about which sectors the country primarily requires skilled labourers.

India and Germany are expected to ink a pact on labour mobility, skill recognition this week, the ambassador’s office confirmed. This will be the first agreement under the G20 Skills-based migration pathways framework, which was agreed upon by the member countries last year in New Delhi. It's about the financing of a feasibility study on the development of a global skills framework, and part of the joint declaration of intent.

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Under this framework, the top 20 economies of the world have recognized that integrated skill-based migration pathways help expand job opportunities for skilled professionals across the globe, lead to formalization of the workforce and benefit both countries of origin and destination.

"Business, one part of this agenda, through which this strategic partnership has reached new levels. That's when it comes to the common fight against climate change and environmental protection. We have a partnership called GSDP (Green and Sustainable Development Partnership). 

There is no other country that has such a big amount of money going into India and working together with the Indian side on improving on many concrete levels like environmental standards, transition from fuel to non-fossil fuel and making cities smarter and environmentally cleaner and more sustainable and so forth. So, this is something which will be high on the agenda. There is stocktaking but also sort of a prospective roadmap for the next years will be developed for this partnership," the diplomat said.

“The third big strategic cooperation element is political strategic partnership, including military partnership. You might have seen a successful exercise in Coimbatore, Tarang Shakti.

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The German air force together with partners from Spain and France came and did an extensive and good exercise with the Indian air force for the first time ever. I was twice to Coimbatore; I must say I was impressed with the level of engagement from both sides. Also, later this month, we have a frigate and a combat provision ship coming on their way from East Asia through India back to Germany. So, there will be a German ship cruising through the Indo-Pacific to make sure Germany is engaged in that area of the world and will also participate in keeping the sea routes free. That's proof of this strategic military cooperation.”

“We have, at the same time, an increase in defence production and common projects, and the most prominent being certainly the submarine deal,” Ackermann added.