Germany has released draft reforms focused on immigration, skills training, and encouraging migration from Western Balkan countries to address labor shortages in the country.
The reforms are a crucial economic task for Germany in the coming decades, according to Labour Minister Hubertus Heil. The number of job vacancies reached a record high of almost 2 million in 2022, based on the ministry’s data.
One of the proposed reforms is a new immigration law that aims to address obstacles faced by migrants, particularly those coming from outside the European Union.
The draft law offers three pathways for foreign workers to enter the country, with the aim of increasing the number of workers from outside the EU by up to 60,000 annually.
The cabinet also approved an education law that entitles young people to paid off-the-job training, and the extension of regulations for job-seekers from Western Balkan countries.
