Germany has signed a deal allowing skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers to migrate to Germany under a controlled and targeted labour migration agreement. This comes as Kenya faces challenges in providing adequate employment and income for its young professionals, while Germany grapples with a severe shortage of skilled labour.
The agreement, signed by Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Kenya’s President William Ruto in Berlin, does not specify the exact number of Kenyan workers to be admitted. However, it is part of Germany’s broader effort to manage immigration and address labor shortages. The deal will also streamline the repatriation of Kenyans residing illegally in Germany.
In a pilot project, five Kenyan bus drivers have already been welcomed to Flensburg, northern Germany, marking the first steps in the agreement. Immigration has become a sensitive issue in Germany, partly due to the rising popularity of the far-right anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). Berlin has also faced increasing pressures after accepting over one million asylum seekers during the 2015-2016 migrant crisis and another 1.2 million Ukrainians following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Under the labour deal, Germany agreed to ease certain immigration laws, enabling Kenyans to work in Europe’s largest economy. Kenyan workers who secure approved jobs will be eligible for temporary residence permits, with possibilities for extension. Additionally, long-term visas for education or vocational training will be issued to Kenyans, and these may be converted into temporary residence permits for up to two years.
Importantly, the deal also facilitates the entry of Kenyan IT specialists into Germany, even if they lack formal qualifications, provided they meet relevant job requirements. Both countries will support the migration of skilled workers who have completed vocational training or earned university degrees, ensuring their qualifications are recognized by the respective authorities.
The agreement includes measures to prevent labour exploitation, forced labour, and human trafficking. It also addresses the readmission and return of citizens between the two countries. Kenya’s participation is part of a broader strategy to tap into global labor markets, while also ensuring the rights and welfare of migrant workers in Germany.
During a ceremony welcoming the Kenyan bus drivers, Schleswig-Holstein’s Transport Minister, Claus Ruhe Madsen, highlighted Germany’s need for skilled and hard-working labour. “We need to position ourselves in such a way that coming to Germany is attractive,” he remarked.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) lauded the deal, citing its potential to increase Kenyan workers’ access to foreign job opportunities while addressing Germany’s labor shortages. The agreement includes mechanisms to protect the rights of Kenyan migrants, ensuring safe and productive migration.
However, concerns have been raised about a potential brain drain in Kenya, particularly with medical professionals like doctors and nurses seeking jobs abroad, leaving local hospitals short-staffed. Kenyan politician and lawyer Ekuru Aukot voiced concerns, stating, “It is sad that we are going to service other countries at the expense of our own.”
In response, Kenyan foreign affairs official Roseline Njogu emphasized that Kenya is simply responding to global labour demands. She noted that Kenya’s growing youth population, with a million people joining the labor market annually, requires new opportunities abroad while the country works to create more jobs locallyGermany and Kenya signed a labor migration deal allowing skilled and semi-skilled Kenyans to work in Germany, addressing labor shortages and Kenya’s unemployment challenges.
