17.12.2024

Recruiting Skilled Workers: Ethical Questions

The Forum participants with their president, Rev Dr Martin Frank (6th from left). For UEM, Rev Dr John Wesley Kabango is a member of the Forum, Executive Secretary Division Africa/Germany and member of the UEM Management Team, in absence represented by his Assistance Sarah Nephuth (left). Photo by: private

Exchange and reflection were the central elements of this year’s Africa Forum. The issue of skilled worker migration, in particular, highlighted the urgency of finding just and sustainable solutions.

From 26 to 27 November 2024, 15 delegates from various German organisations gathered in Tübingen for the Africa Forum. Their focus: “Ethical Questions Surrounding the Recruitment of African Skilled Workers for the German Labour Market, Particularly in Nursing Professions.” The forum was hosted by the German Institute for Medical Mission (Difäm e.V.), founded in 1906 and now dedicated to promoting medical care and education. The United Evangelical Mission (UEM) is a member of the Forum. In her opening remarks, Gisela Schneider, Director of Difäm e.V., referenced a key insight from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege. He said: “Healing is only possible where people have justice.”

Making Migration More Appealing

During a panel discussion, Julia Stoffner (Bread for the World) and Olaf Hirschmann (Difäm) exchanged views on the ethical questions of skilled worker recruitment and engaged in dialogue with the participants. Stoffner pointed out that German state programmes for skilled worker immigration only reach about 15% of migrants, while private agencies handle 75%. However, these agencies often charge excessive fees or portray the situation in the destination country with unrealistic optimism. Overall, the German labour market is more of a deterrent than an invitation for those considering to work in Germany. Stoffner’s key message was: “Germany must address its own structural problems before recruiting skilled workers from abroad.”

Olaf Hirschmann provided insights about the African perspective, particularly in Malawi and Tanzania. In Tanzania, many skilled workers migrate abroad due to a lack of local job opportunities, often to countries like Saudi Arabia. Paradoxically, in countries such as Malawi, nursing professionals wait about seven years for employment after completing their training. During this time, they are legally prohibited from working abroad. Hirschmann highlighted the desire of many skilled workers to return to their home countries at a later stage. This is partly because the poor working conditions in Germany deter many nursing professionals, and German culture does little to compensate for these challenges. “Circular migration,” the process of alternating between home and destination countries, is a realistic and often beneficial option for both employers and workers in this field. Because at the end of the day, good working and living conditions are a pleasant outcome for all parties involved.

The United Evangelical Mission has been working on this topic for several years through its Department of International Diakonia. In 2023, it published a report examining the issue with a particular focus on Germany and the Philippines. So far, it is available in German language only, here for download.