Asylum Seekers and the German Labour Market: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract:

This article explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of asylum seekers into the German labour market. Asylum seekers are a potential workforce that is underutilized in Germany, given that the country experiences a labour shortage in the current population due to population ageing and the high need for a skilled workforce. The article reviews the legal, social and economic impediments to meaningful employment by asylum seekers, such as bureaucratic obstacles, language barriers, discrimination, as well as qualification mismatches. Also, it determines the main opportunities which include the needs of workers in the fields such as medical, structure building and service industries, value of vocational training, learning languages and the public-private collaborations. The article suggests several recommendations to be made through the integration of asylum seekers in a country, such as easing the restrictions on work permits, increasing outreach in terms of education and training, battling discrimination in the workplace, and growing the social support system, among others, based on the analysis of the case studies and in comparison, to the rest of countries in Europe. The article ends with the view that through the appropriate policy changes, the presence of asylum seekers will be able to play a great role in the economy and social integrity of Germany.