The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) welcomed the government's plans to make it easier for skilled workers to immigrate, but called for improvements to be made, for example to salary limits and the recruitment of trainees from abroad.

“The key issues paper still contains very little on this.

With the growing number of unfilled training places in Germany, we have to become even more pragmatic in order to attract more trainees from third countries," said DIHK Deputy General Manager Achim Dercks of the "Rheinische Post".

Craft President Hans Peter Wollseifer called for a realignment of the immigration authorities and the German embassies abroad in the discussion about skilled workers from other countries.

“The immigration authorities must become “Welcome Centers”, visas must be issued more quickly.

Otherwise people won't come, especially since Germany doesn't have the best reputation as an immigration country anyway," said Wollseifer.

New rules would have to be based on practice and be unbureaucratic.

"Small companies don't have large human resources departments that can deal with immigration authorities for a long time."

Heil: “2025 see successes of the law

Wollseifer emphasized that there are currently significantly more vacancies in the skilled trades than the official 153,000, since many companies are no longer reporting their vacancies out of resignation.

Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil has meanwhile justified the planned new immigration rules for skilled workers with international competition for qualified workers.

"We must not simply accept the immigration of skilled workers bureaucratically as in the past, we must want it massively," said the SPD politician to the SWR capital city studio.

"Our goal is the most modern immigration law in Europe, because we compete with many countries for clever minds and helping hands.

The fact that we get the right people ensures prosperity in Germany.” Heil spoke of a “national effort” for the federal, state and local authorities and also for the economy.

With a new law, the federal government wants to make it much easier for qualified workers to immigrate from abroad.

To this end, the federal cabinet will adopt a key issues paper this Wednesday.

Among other things, it provides that people will be able to immigrate to Germany using a point system, even if they do not yet have a job.

After the key points, the cabinet should also approve the corresponding draft laws in the first quarter of 2023.

With the innovations, the federal government wants to take action against the sometimes very serious shortage of skilled workers in Germany.

Heil told the SWR about the timeline: "The law will be passed next year (...) and I want us to see the success of this law on the labor market by 2025 at the latest, and that's not far away."