So much for putting one’s own citizens first. Germany unveiled new legal “integration” measures on Thursday that, in part, temporarily suspend a law requiring employers give German or European Union job applications preference before considering refugees. In other words, a non-EU citizen couldn’t be hired “unless there is no EU citizen willing or qualified to take the job.” Those job safeguards will now be suspended for three years.
The new law also encourages migrants to learn Germany’s language and culture.
Under the coalition government’s measures, announced on Thursday morning, asylum seekers face cuts to support if they reject mandatory integration measures such as language classes or lessons in German laws or cultural basics.
According to the German chancellor,Angela Merkel, the aim of Germany’s first ever integration law is to make it easier for asylum seekers to gain access to the German labour market, with the government promising 100,000 new “working opportunities”, expected to include low-paid workfare jobs. […]
More than 476,000 asylum applications were registered in Germany in 2015, with officials putting the total number of arrivals at over a million.
Germany’s vice chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, said he was convinced that “in a few years’ time this law will be seen as a milestone for our immigration law.” German citizens seeking employment will likely beg to differ.