President William Ruto (left) and German's Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the signing of the Labour Mobility Patrnership Agreement at the Chancelley in Berlin, Germany on September 13, 2024.
Kenya’s President William Ruto and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the two countries had an agreement that would allow skilled workers from Kenya to live and work in the European country.
The labour and migration deal also has provisions for the deportation of illegal Kenyans in Germany.
President Ruto, in an interview with Germany’s Deutsche Welle, touched a raw nerve when he suggested the German government had promised the entry of 250,000 Kenyans into Germany, a nation that has been roiled by immigration.
“This information is clearly false. The agreement between Germany and Kenya does not include any numbers or quotas of skilled workers who will have the opportunity to work in Germany. All applicants must fufill the strict requirements of the German Skilled Immigration Act,” German’s Federal Ministry of Interior and Community on X.
1. Why has Nairobi signed a labour and immigration deal with Germany?
President Ruto, who has made it his mission to look for job opportunities for millions of unemployed Kenyans abroad, described the deal as a win-win.
Germany, the richest European nation, has a labour deficit due to its aging population while Kenya has a labour surplus due to its huge youth population. With an ageing and shrinking workforce, experts say Germany needs about 400,000 skilled immigrants each year.
The deal is underpinned by the German Skilled Immigration Act (FEG). This law is designed to make it easier for skilled workers from outside the European Union (EU) to enter Germany. It aims to address the country's shortage of skilled labour by providing more opportunities for individuals with vocational training and practical knowledge.
The Act streamlines the visa application process for skilled workers, and expands access to labour market by recognising more types of qualifications as skilled. The Act also introduced new mechanisms for recognising foreign qualifications, making it easier for skilled workers to have their credentials validated in Germany.
3. How does the deal Kenya signed with Germany fit into the Act?
The act allows for recognition partnerships between German and foreign institutions, which can facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications. A recognition partnership in Germany is a formal agreement between a German institution and a foreign institution to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications. These partnerships aim to streamline the process of validating foreign educational credentials, making it easier for skilled workers to find employment in Germany.
4. Who qualifies for jobs under the deal?
Not everyone qualifies to work in Germany under the deal. Skilled jobs such as IT specialists are highly preferred. Fortunately, employment of people with highly developed practical professional knowledge was expanded under the new changes to the Act. For IT specialists, access to the labour market was further facilitated in the latest changes by reducing the required professional experience to two years (from three). A professional qualification or university degree is still not required.
Other skilled workers needed are healthcare professionals including nurses, manufacturing managers, mining managers, and construction managers. The country also needs engineers, chemists, architects, dentists, veterinarians, and other skilled workers.
5. What are the provisions of employment for skilled workers?
The new provision now applies to all non-regulated professions in all sectors. For people with practical professional knowledge, the requirement is that they have a qualification or a university degree recognised by the country of training. In the case of a professional qualification, a training period of at least two years is required.
As an alternative to a state-recognised qualification, a qualification from a German Chamber of Commerce Abroad may be sufficient under certain conditions. In addition, applicants must have a minimum of two years’ work experience in the occupation they wish to enter.
For IT specialists, the required professional experience to access to the labour market is two years.
For nursing jobs, all third-country nationals with less than three years of regulated nursing training are now able to work in the health and care sector. The prerequisite for this is that such individuals either have relevant vocational training in nursing in Germany or a foreign nursing qualification that is recognised in Germany.
Nursing and care assistants from third countries who have completed their training in Germany are now able to apply for a residence permit for jobseekers. The residence permit is issued for up to twelve months and can be extended by up to six months if the applicant’s livelihood is further secured.
