Germany plans to recruit more nurses from the Philippines. The two countries already have great ties in terms of skilled worker exchange. There are almost 6,000 nurses who work in Germany out of 2,000 who came to Germany through government-to-government programs.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met on 12 March in Berlin. On this occasion, concert migration partnership was one of the main agenda of the meeting.
German Chancellor seemed very keen on expressing the importance of Filipino Skilled Workers. In the joint press conference, he said:
“The Philippines has a treasure of well-skilled workers, this is also relevant for our health sector. The labor cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation is an important area for Germany. Very comprehensive further development of cooperation in the skilled sector was planned”.
The Philippines President Marcos also mentioned that he recognizes the healthcare workforce from his country and wants to move further for other skilled worker sectors too.
The Philippines has concretely trained and recognized 620,000 nurses out of which 51% work abroad. The wages back their in the country are much less than what these workers can earn in European countries like Germany.
There are already many staff shortages in the German healthcare sector, and 1.8 million positions could remain unfilled by 2035. A new law should help, and experts are also calling for more openness and willingness to integrate into German society.
For decades, the Philippines has been filling this need, being one of the main export countries for nurses in the world; There is an extensive system of private recruiting agencies that often poach young women and men at the training centers, as well as bilateral political agreements that are intended to make it easier for skilled workers to go abroad.
Since 2013, nurses from the Philippines, among others, have been brought to Germany as part of the German “Triple Win” program. According to the Philippine Ministry of Migration, there are currently 12,600 Filipino migrant workers living in Germany, most of them with jobs in nursing. The project is managed by the Federal Employment Agency and GIZ and is called “Triple Win”. Because everyone should win: applicants, their home countries – and Germany.
Germany wants to increasingly recruit skilled workers from the Philippines. The government in Manila confirmed this after a visit by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in January 2024.
“Germany has stated that it would like to recruit other skilled workers in addition to nurses – including electricians, electrical engineers, and workers for the hospitality industry,” said the responsible Philippine state secretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan.
Germany in willing to recruit more and more skilled workers from abroad, this is why the country is also introducing an “Opportunity Card” in July 2024. This will indeed help the Federal Republic to start overcoming the labor shortage and fulfilling the vacant job positions in upcoming years.