IOM chief: Irregular migrants to combat labor shortage
Migrants who have arrived in Germany irregularly and rejected asylum seekers could also help to overcome the labor shortage, according to the new head of the UN Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope. It is easier for employers to hire people who are already in the country, she told the German Press Agency ahead of her first visit to Berlin.
"We hear from the private sector that it is easier to employ someone who is already in the country," said Pope. "From a practical point of view, there are good reasons to proceed in this way." However, she accepts it if governments do not want to reward migrants with jobs who have entered the country irregularly. This is a political question.
"However, there is no clear evidence that irregular migrants who then receive a work permit serve as a magnet for others," said Pope. The IOM would be ready to help in any case: with the repatriation of rejected asylum seekers and expelled migrants, for example, as well as with the search for suitable workers abroad.
Praise for German migration policy
Pope praised Germany's migration policy as exemplary. She cited agreements such as the one with India, in which Germany determines the need for skilled workers and India searches for the necessary candidates. "This is best practice," she said. However, this is not only necessary for skilled workers. "Engineers, health workers, that's relatively easy," said Pope. "But there is also a shortage of workers in construction, agriculture, elderly care. IOM can help meet the demand." The organization offers training and further education in sending countries as well as language courses and courses on the culture of the destination country.
"The labor shortage is real, neither the use of artificial intelligence nor a sudden increase in the birth rate could change this in the medium term," said Pope. All studies also show that economies benefit from migration in the long term, that it boosts innovation and increases wealth. Private companies need to talk much louder about success stories with migrants who they have integrated into their workforce, said Pope. She also wants to encourage German companies to do the same in Germany. In this way, fears among the population could be countered.
"The staff of the future"
Pope is also campaigning for private investment in "the staff of the future", as she puts it. "We can help companies to invest in training programs in other countries so that they can learn the skills that the companies will need in two or three years' time."
Pope's meetings in Berlin will include Federal Development Minister Svenja Schulze, the Minister of State for Migration, Refugees and Integration, Reem Alabali-Radovan, and the State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior, Bernd Krösser. Among other things, she wants to discuss the financing of IOM programs. Germany is one of the IOM's most important donor countries.
"Given the labor shortage in various sectors such as construction and agriculture, Amy Pope suggested that the IOM could assist in providing suitable workers from abroad. This aligns with her belief that irregular migrants who receive a work permit do not attract more illegal immigrants."
"During her meetings in Berlin, Pope plans to discuss the financing of IOM programs with German officials, highlighting the importance of private investment in 'the staff of the future' to address skill gaps in companies."
Source: www.dpa.com
