The recruitment of skilled Indian workers for the German economy could serve as a model for other countries, German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil said on Saturday at the conclusion of his visit to India.
“We have for the first time deliberately developed a strategy to show this large country how qualified immigration in large numbers can work in practice,” Heil told dpa in New Delhi.
If successful, the strategy could be transferred to other countries seeking migration deals with Germany, he added.
Heil travelled to India as part of the German government delegation led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
He said his mission had been to ensure that India, Germany and would-be migrants all benefited from the talks.
The German government is aiming to attract Indian workers to fill vacancies in its struggling economy by removing bureaucratic hurdles.
Demographic change in Germany means that the country will need to replace 6 million workers by 2035, Heil said. Otherwise, worker shortages would become a “brake on growth,” he said.
Heil noted that a million people come onto the Indian labour market every month.
India has particular significance for Germany on account of its size and the 20-year strategic partnership between the two countries, Heil said.
He emphasized, however, that Germany does not want to alienate other countries in the region through its focus on India.