The new regulations of work permissions will help asylum seekers in Germany to start a job with an employer in the fastest way possible. This means to improve the chances of refugees finding work, the federal government will introduce a “presumption of approval” when the local immigration authorities issue a work permit.
In these situations, the work permission is deemed to have been granted if the immigration authorities do not inform the applicant of a different decision within two weeks after involving the Federal Employment Agency.
The German Minister Robert Habeck says that the aim is to reverse the immigration authorities’ authorization authority. In the future, the following should apply:
“If they do not object after 14 days, then the work of foreigners is deemed to have been approved.”
If more refugees and other foreigners could be integrated into the labor market, this would be a “screw for more growth,” emphasizes Habeck. He often meets master craftsmen who tell him that they want to hire someone but are unable to do so due to bureaucratic obstacles.
“If refugees can find work more quickly, that is only to be welcomed,” said SPD interior politician Hakan Demir. The traffic light coalition has already decided on reforms to achieve this. For example, it is now generally the case that asylum seekers and tolerated persons can now work after six months instead of nine.
Mixed rules for asylum seekers in Germany
On the other hand, deportation and repatriation are also under discussion. The interior ministers of the Union-led federal states have called on the federal government to curb migration to Germany. At the end of their two-day meeting in Dresden, they called for the repatriation of rejected asylum seekers to be accelerated.
The deportation process to third countries should also be carried out precisely. The federal government must seek repatriation agreements with other countries, they said. In a joint statement, the heads of departments also called for the continuation of increased border controls.
The SPD state chairwoman in Berlin, Böcker-Giannini, said the demands missed the point. The major task facing them is accommodating the refugees. Municipalities must be given a flat-rate incentive to create more accommodation.
In the rules announced back in March 2024, the tolerant people (Duldung status holders) who can secure their livelihood, we are also creating more incentives to take up training with a residence permit for vocational training. The training companies also benefit from this.