News

The German government has committed itself to liberalising labour migration. According to a ‘policy paper’, migrants with a work contract and professional experience are to be admitted on the basis of a ‘experience pillar’ if they have completed professional training abroad, irrespective of whether it is equivalent with domestic standards or not. In addition, a ‘potential pillar’ will introduce a points system for jobseekers who meet a number of criteria. The Research Centre Immigration & Asylum Law (FZAA) at the University of Konstanz will organise a  Migration Policy Forum (MPF) in Berlin, which will be streamed digitally, to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and limits of the new initiatives with political actors, experts, and stakeholders. It will also draws attention to practical gaps with regard to a group that is rarely discussed: entry of the self-employed and start-up founders. For the programme and registration, please visit the event website. Background information on the status quo of German labour migration policy and the coalition agreement of the current government can be found in two previous bloposts for the Odysseus Network (note that the latest proposals go further than the coalition agreement).