Immigration of skilled workers: lost time

With some texts, as an editor you already know that only a few people will read them. All reports, analyzes and comments that have to do with skilled worker migration are hot candidates for this. If you are reading this then you are very special!

But seriously: it is understandable that the attention of the broad masses is not on the immigration of skilled workers. In the end it's about bureaucratic processes, visa regulations, agencies. Not so sexy, many people think - and that's okay. What is not okay at all is that the federal government is not interested in the topic either. Because skilled worker immigration is important. For German companies, for example, that are urgently looking for qualified workers. For the German social systems, which need new contributors, fewer and fewer children are being born in Germany. And of course especially for the people themselves who come and (want to) build a life for themselves here.

But the Black and Reds seem to have little ambition to change anything, even though economic growth and functioning social systems are supposedly close to the Merz government's heart. Where the traffic light coalition has tackled at least smaller reforms in this area, such as the Skilled Immigration Act, the black and red coalition is doing almost nothing. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has so far only presented key points for the planned work-and-stay agency, which is intended to accelerate and simplify the recruitment processes.

The taz is an independent, left-wing and opinionated daily newspaper. We have been arguing in our comments, essays and debate texts since the taz was founded in 1979. We often cannot and do not want to agree on an opinion. That's why you'll find some completely opposing positions here - all part of the very broad left-wing spectrum of opinions.

The Union and SPD have not even set themselves any further goals in their coalition agreement. And they have recently placed significantly greater restrictions on the recruitment of workers from the states of the Western Balkans. One can hope that something will change in the government's indifference, but we have to doubt it. If things continue like this, the legacy of this federal government in skilled worker policy will likely consist of one thing above all: lost time.