Just a few days ahead of the summit meeting between the representatives of the Federal State and the Länders on June 18, Germany’s large employers federations and trade unions have come together to call with one voice on the government to facilitate refugees’ access to the labor market. Highlighting the fact that many businesses are desperate for young labor looking for apprenticeships that they have asked for improvements in the legal situation of asylum seekers who have already commenced combined work/training. Currently they have to obtain a guarantee that they can stay in the country when the training/work program ends. The Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, Andrea Nahles has already indicated she will support this demand during the summit meeting.
A controversial subject. Asylum seekers’ access to the German labor market is a sensitive subject that has divided the country for several months. Faced with a massive wave of refugees (450,000 asylum seekers in 2015) the CSU party (Angela Merkel ‘s Conservative Bavarian branch) has called for measures to stem the flow and radically reduce the number of refugees.
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