Germany concludes migration agreement with Kenya to attract qualified personnel

Germany, faced with a major labour shortage, concluded a migration agreement with Kenya on Friday 13 September, aimed in particular at attracting qualified personnel.

In Kenya there is “an incredible number of highly qualified IT specialists”said Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto in Berlin. Ruto himself stressed “the immense human capital”, “the power of innovation and creativity” from his country, where the average age is 20.

Thanks to this agreement, “Specialised workers or young people will be able to come to Germany for training”said Olaf Scholz, believing that this could help to curb “the shortage of skilled labor”the effects of which are already being felt in the German economy.

“Effective return procedures”

“The foundation of our prosperity is our openness to the world and we must defend it”the chancellor said, while pleading for “clearly limit illegal immigration”The agreement signed on Friday provides “effective return procedures for those who have come from Kenya but do not have or cannot acquire the right to remain in Germany”added Olaf Scholz.

Berlin has already concluded migration agreements with India, in December 2022, and with Georgia a year later. Another is expected to follow next week on the occasion of Mr Scholz’s visit to Uzbekistan. The German government is also negotiating such treaties with Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines.

In recent weeks, Germany has experienced a series of Islamist-motivated attacks that have prompted Mr Scholz’s government to tighten its immigration policy. As far as illegal arrivals are concerned, Kenya’s weight is relatively small. In the first eight months, only 225 people from that country filed an initial asylum application in Germany.

From January to August, asylum was granted in only one case and refugee status was granted in only ten others.