Struggling to Care for Aging Population: The Rise of Foreign Care Workers in Germany
More than a quarter of nurses hail from foreign lands
In a nutshell, a whopping one out of every four caregivers in Germany's elderly care sector hails from foreign lands, according to the Federal Employment Agency. Vanessa Ahuja, a spokeswoman from Nuremberg, revealed this alarming fact, stating that the care sector is grappling with a catastrophic shortage of skilled labor, which is being exacerbated by demographic trends. She reckoned that without the valiant efforts of these foreign care workers, the entire sector would be crumbling today.
The number of workers in the care sector has expanded by a staggering 20% over the past decade, reaching a staggering 1.72 million. This surge in employment is significantly higher than the overall labor market growth. For three consecutive years, the increase in employment in care has been solely attributable to foreign workers, who now make up 18% of the workforce.
Source: ntv.de, dpa
Behind the Scenes: Immigration and Elderly Care Workers
Germany's elderly care sector's survival is closely tied to immigration policies due to its aging populace and the burgeoning demand for elderly care services. The and the German government is intensifying its migration and citizenship policies starting early 2025, making broader migration rules stricter, but specific visas and permits remain available for skilled and essential foreign workers, including those in care professions. Visa and residence permit fees have also been adjusted for 2025, potentially reducing the administrative burden for care workers arriving from abroad.
Changes in social support for refugees may impact some foreign caregivers indirectly, as reduced payments for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees might limit their civil aid eligibility. However, these changes do not directly affect work or visa permissions.
Age Wave and Caregivers: A Delicate Balance
Germany is bracing itself for a demographic shift as its population ages, escalating the demand for elderly care. The Ninth Government Report on Older People underscores the necessity of ensuring older people’s participation and access to care, which is closely linked to the availability of caregivers.
Migrant caregivers are playing a pivotal role in filling the labor gaps in elderly care. In their absence, families and care facilities would likely face significant challenges in finding adequate care for the elderly.
Despite the tightening of immigration rules, Germany continues to lean heavily on foreign care workers, predominantly from Eastern Europe, to maintain its elderly care sector. Balancing the need to regulate immigration flows and ensuring a sufficient supply of care workforce is crucial to the sector’s sustainability and the quality of care provided.
- The survival of Germany's elderly care sector is closely tied to immigration policies due to the aging population and the burgeoning demand for care services.
- Migrant caregivers are playing a pivotal role in filling the labor gaps in elderly care, as their absence would likely lead to significant challenges for families and care facilities in providing adequate care for the elderly.
- The German government is intensifying its migration and citizenship policies starting early 2025, making broader migration rules stricter, but specific visas and permits remain available for skilled and essential foreign workers, including those in care professions.
- In the health-and-wellness sector, employment policy, particularly in the care sector, has significantly increased over the past decade, with foreign workers making up 18% of the workforce, a number that has expanded by 20%.
