recognize qualifications
Heil wants to quickly integrate refugees into the labor market
03/18/2022, 8:15 p.m
According to official figures, around 200,000 Ukrainians have fled to Germany to escape the war in Ukraine. For Federal Minister of Labor Heil, these are initially “people in need”, but he wants to integrate them into the labor market as soon as possible. Also because of the labor shortage.
Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil wants to quickly integrate Ukrainian refugees who are looking for a job into the German labor market. There is a labor shortage in many areas, the SPD politician told the TV station Welt. The prerequisite, however, is that Ukrainian qualifications are quickly recognized and that language acquisition and childcare are guaranteed.
Overall, he has the impression that many people know that because of the dramatic situation in Ukraine they “will stay longer in Germany and many also want to work,” said Heil. And many German companies are also willing to employ the refugees “because they can use them. That has to be brought together.”
Recognize Ukrainian qualifications
“It must be possible to acquire language,” said Heil. “It has to be clear that qualifications acquired in Ukraine are also recognized here. We have to clarify that together quickly.” In addition, childcare is a prerequisite for integration into the labor market, said Heil, pointing out that it is currently mainly women with children who come.
“But workers are not coming here first,” emphasized Heil. “People come out of need who don’t leave their homeland voluntarily. But it makes sense that we can get access to the labor market together – and that’s what we’re fighting for.”
At their meeting on Thursday, the federal and state governments pointed out that the residence status agreed in the EU enables Ukrainian refugees to “immediately start work in Germany”. According to a specification of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the immigration authorities would expressly allow gainful employment when issuing the residence permit.
Not since the end of World War II have so many people in Europe fled their homeland in such a short space of time. So far, only a relatively small proportion of the more than 3.2 million refugees from Ukraine, according to the UN, have arrived in Germany. According to the federal government, there are around 200,000. However, the authorities assume that the number of unreported cases is high, since those arriving only have to register after 90 days.