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Germany Moves to Adopt New Immigration Policies
German Interior Ministry put forward an immigration draft law on Friday to cope with increasing local demand for foreign employees and strengthen the integration of foreigners into German society.
The draft gives German business the right to decide how many and what kind of foreign employees they want to accept. Those high- qualified, like engineers and computer experts, are especially welcome and will be issued permanent residence if they are hired by German companies.
A points system to select those "particularly appropriate immigrants" is recommended in the draft legislation that is awaiting a majority agreement in the parliament later this year before coming into force.
Those young, well-educated and good at German language are supposed to be lucky under the points system. They could come to Germany "even without a concrete work position."
Foreign students will be allowed to stay in Germany for one year after graduation to look for a job and will be given permanent residence when employed. Foreign students have little chances to stay in Germany after graduation under the current immigration law.
High-qualified immigrants such as computer specialists will be allowed to bring along their families, including children up to age 18.
Many German business sectors are understaffed and not find local employees. Statistics show that the computer sector has some 75,000 vacant jobs, metal and electronic companies need 40,000 more workers, and food service sector is also in big demand for workers.
The "greencard" project, a program adopted last year by the government to lure foreign computer experts to come to Germany, is intended to attract 20,000 specialists from foreign countries. The greencard holders are allowed to live in Germany for three to five years. Some 8,500 foreign computer experts have come to work in Germany so far.
Interior Minister Otto Schilly said that immigration should be organized in an "open and flexible" way, but would continue to be limited.
Some 7.3 million foreigners live in Germany at present, accounting for some 9 percent of the country's whole population. Almost 40 percent of them have lived here for at least 15 years.
The integration of foreign immigrants into the German society will be enforced under the draft law. In order to live in Germany permanently, foreigners must master the German language and become acquainted with local laws, customs and social norms in Germany. " Immigration and integration should always be seen as a whole," Schilly claimed.
An independent panel will be set up to examine whether the new foreign immigrants have integrated into the society and will submit a report annually for the government to decide on further immigration policies.
The draft will simplify asylum procedures and set stricter rules for those seeking permanent asylum right.
The asylum right of an refugee will be re-examined after three years to see if the situation in his or her native nation is safe enough for the refugee to return.
Asylum-seekers are not allowed to transfer to normal immigrants according to the draft.
The draft law, worked out on the basis of a proposal of the Immigration Committee led by former parliament president Rita Suessmuth, will be passed by the parliament, Schilly said.
The opposition parties have agreed with the draft fundamentally but demanded some changes.
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