The German government led by Olaf Scholz on Wednesday introduced a bill aimed at easing restrictions on visas and work permits for citizens of non-EU countries, in a move that would benefit refugees.
For example, it will not be necessary to present an employment contract to settle in the country, as this will be replaced by a points system that measures candidates' "abilities" to integrate into society, as is currently applied in Canada.
Observers say the move is aimed at attracting more skilled labour needed by the German economy, but it puts Berlin at the bottom of Europe's trend of closing borders to migrants.
Introducing the bill, which still needs to be passed by lawmakers, Interior Minister Nancy Weser said: "We will make sure to bring specialized workers into the country who are urgently needed by our economy for years."
She said the new system would "remove bureaucratic hurdles" and "allow specialist workers to quickly come to Germany and start" work.
The shortage of skilled workers has become a real problem in Germany, where the authorities are counting two million jobs and the generation of sixties is retiring.
Due to an aging population, the labor market is expected to lose 7 million people by 2035, if the government does not take any steps according to a study by the Institute for Labor Market Research (IAB).