Refugees and shortage of skilled workers: political solutions for Erlangen-Höchstadt!

Refugees and shortage of skilled workers: political solutions for Erlangen-Höchstadt!

In Buckenhof there was an informative event of the SPD Erlangen-Höchstadt, in which around 100 interested parties came together to discuss the urgent issues of migration, refugees and a shortage of skilled workers. District chairman Fritz Müller emphasized the need to treat the topic of refugees objectively and without agitation. The political situation was illuminated by Horst Arnold and member of the Bundestag Martina Stamm-Fibich, which highlighted the importance of the individual asylum saying that is essential for many persecutors.

Thomas Voit, city council from Baiersdorf, explained the complex legal foundations on residence status and work eligibility, while Christian Jung, municipal council from Großseebach, presented the current figures of the refugees in the district. "The real proportion of refugees in the district was only around 0.8 percent in 2023," said Jung, which makes the political discussion all the more remarkable.

specialist shortage and immigration

District Council and AWO managing director Christian Pech warned of the challenges of the shortage of skilled workers and urgently called for immigration to cope with the demographic problems. It is particularly important to distinguish between refugees from Ukraine, who can work quickly, and asylum seekers from other conflict areas that have to fight with legal hurdles. "Politicians have to start here in order to relieve the lack of personnel, especially in the nursing sector," appealed Pech.

The former member of the state parliament Alexandra Hiersemann pointed out the high hurdles that Bavarian companies had to overcome when recruiting specialists. In the subsequent discussion it became clear that more work permits for refugees could increase social acceptance. The participants called for support for the committed work of the refugee helper circles and a discharge of the asylum system by regulated immigration.