German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Kenyan President William Ruto signed an agreement on Sept. 13 in Berlin to facilitate the recruitment of skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers to live and work in Germany.
The agreement establishes a comprehensive framework for cooperation between Germany and Kenya in key areas such as labor mobility, apprenticeships, student training, and employment. It also contains provisions for the return and readmission of Kenyan workers back to their country, while also making it easier to deport Kenyans who are in Germany without legal permission.
“This agreement can help us to compensate for a shortage of skilled workers,” Scholtz said at a signing ceremony in Berlin on Friday. “On the other side of the coin, the agreement provides for effective return procedures for those who have come to us from Kenya but do not have or cannot acquire the right to stay here. They can now return home more easily and quickly.”
“The agreement provides various pathways for Kenyans to work and train in Kenya and Germany,” he stated. “We are fully cognizant of the Labour demands for Germany and the available talented and qualified Kenyan Labour supply. As a Government we are committed to ensuring that those in the Labour migration space are licensed, ethical, and persons who will not take advantage of Kenyan job seekers. We will adhere to best international Labour migration practices.”
The deal allows to Kenyan workers already in Germany with approved jobs to potentially extend their temporary residence permits. Also, Kenyans will receive long-term visas for study or vocational training, with the option of extending their stay for two years for educational purposes, and the possibility of further extensions.
Germany has already signed similar agreements with India, Georgia, and Morocco.
The labor agreement was made as Kenya grapples with high youth unemployment and Germany has ongoing debates about migration and asylum.
Successive governments in Berlin have allowed large numbers of asylum seekers to settle in Germany in recent years, a move that has faced some voter opposition and led to a rise in popularity of the right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has been critical of mass immigration.
In a country where politics have been ruled by centrists since the end of World War II, the party’s victory in Thuringia and strong showing in Saxony was a shock for some Germans and a welcome shift for some others.
German voters will decide on their national leaders in a federal election next year.
