A migration miracle? Indian migration to Germany : opportunities and challenges

The number of Indian migrants in Germany has risen sharply in recent years. In particular, they are helping alleviate the shortage of skilled workers in STEM professions. For Germany, India is the most important country of origin for labour and education migration. Currently, the profile of migration to Germany is changing: fewer experts are entering on the EU Blue Card (which, until recently, was the most important residence permit for skilled workers), while more students, trainees and professionally qualified people are coming to look for jobs or have their qualifications recognised by the Ger­man authorities. The Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) concluded by Berlin and New Delhi in 2022 does not expand the German legal frame­work for recruiting skilled workers through the provision of new access routes. However, it does improve the practical implementation of self-organised migration from India - for example, by speeding up visa procedures. The MMPA Joint Working Group offers the opportunity not only to engage in a dialogue with the Indian government aimed at harnessing the full potential of increasing migration but also to address the challenges that have arisen from that trend, including the inadequate regulation of private recruitment agencies. The example of India shows that Germany’s external infrastructure and migration-related development cooperation must be used much more effectively in countries of origin in order to develop new approaches to the fair and successful recruitment of skilled workers for the German labour market. Migration cooperation is a bridge builder in German-Indian relations, which are becoming increasingly important. Key areas of bilateral col­laboration – such as digitisation, artificial intelligence and climate pro­tection – should be systematically linked to knowledge exchange and the mobility of skilled professionals in these sectors.