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BAMF statistics 2024: Significant decline in skilled worker immigration


While political rhetoric tirelessly extols the virtues of a welcoming culture and the necessity of foreign experts, the stark figures speak a language of disillusionment . The engine of the German economy, the immigration of skilled workers , is not merely sputtering – it lost considerable momentum last year . As a law firm specializing in visa law, we are confronted daily with the murky depths of application procedures and must conclude: The reality in government offices and consulates falls far short of the ideals of a modern immigration country.


The grim toll of current migration figures

The statistical analyses for 2024 paint a bleak picture, one that many industry experts had already feared. Labor migration to Germany has plummeted by almost a quarter compared to the previous year , specifically by 24.6 percent. While 72,400 third-country nationals came to Germany for work in 2023, this number fell to just 54,590 the following year. The decline is particularly worrying in sectors crucial to the innovative strength of our economy. Among highly qualified individuals seeking to immigrate under the EU Blue Card regulations ( Section 18g of the German Residence Act ), we have recorded a decrease of 29.6 percent. The research sector (Section 18d of the Residence Act) has been hit even harder, with a 30.7 percent drop in numbers. This development is paradoxical, as the legal framework established by the Skilled Immigration Act was actually intended to reduce barriers . But paper is patient, and legal practice shows that the mere existence of paragraphs does not conjure a visa stamp on a passport.


The demographic abyss and the gap in the system

We must recognize that this decline is not merely a statistical phenomenon, but rather threatens the very existence of many businesses. Calculations by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) clearly show that Germany would need net immigration of around 400,000 workers annually to compensate for the retirement of the so-called baby boomer generation. However, if not even a fraction of this number finds its way to us through regular labor migration channels , we are heading towards a massive aging of the labor market with our eyes wide open. As a law firm, we often see that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular capitulate to the complexity of the procedures. While large corporations maintain their own " Global Mobility " departments , the master craftsman or the owner of an IT startup faces a mountain of forms and unclear responsibilities between the Federal Employment Agency, embassy visa offices, and local immigration authorities.


Bureaucratic hurdles as an obstacle to investment

One of the main problems we encounter in our daily consulting practice is the lack of predictability in processing times . A company that needs to fill a key position cannot wait twelve months for a visa under Section 18a or 18b of the German Residence Act (AufenthG) to be granted. The opaque procedures and the often months-long waiting times for appointments at German embassies and consulates abroad make personnel planning a gamble. Even if the skilled worker finally makes it to Germany, the second hurdle often begins: converting the visa into a permanent residence permit at the local immigration office . Here, chronically understaffed offices encounter an increasingly complex legal situation. For employers, this represents an unacceptable risk. Without planning certainty, talent in the global competition simply chooses other countries like Canada, Australia, or the USA, which have made their processes more digital and service-oriented.


The accelerated skilled worker procedure: A blunt instrument?

While the legislator provides for the so-called accelerated skilled worker procedure in Section 81a of the Residence Act , which promises faster processing for a fee of €411, we observe that this instrument also reaches its limits when the personnel resources in the authorities are insufficient to meet the legally stipulated deadlines. Acceleration on paper is of little use if communication between the involved agencies—from the recognition of foreign professional qualifications to the approval of the Federal Employment Agency —is hampered by outdated interfaces. We note that the complexity of German immigration law often poses a challenge even for experts, which only further increases the uncertainty for applicants and their future employers. This legal uncertainty thus becomes a competitive disadvantage that we simply cannot afford in light of demographic trends.


Conclusion: A complete change of course is urgently needed.

In summary, the drastic decline in labor migration must serve as a resounding wake-up call to policymakers . The discrepancy between the need for 400,000 immigrants per year and the reality of approximately 54,000 actual arrivals is alarming. As a law firm specializing in visa law, we see daily the potential squandered through lengthy processes and excessive bureaucracy. While Germany has a modern Skilled Immigration Act, its implementation is hampered by inefficiencies in the bureaucracy. For labor migration to regain momentum, consistent digitalization, better staffing of immigration offices , and streamlining of qualification recognition procedures are essential. Only by making the immigration process predictable and attractive for both businesses and skilled workers will Germany be able to compete internationally for the best talent.


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