Germany lacks around 100,000 IT specialists. Recently, the German digital industry association Bitkom proposed a solution to this problem: inviting IT experts from Belarus and Russia to work. For this, according to the association, the German government must reduce the language knowledge requirements and streamline the procedure for issuing visas – within a week.

What do German politicians think about this, and how should potential IT reallocators be selected? DW discussed this with Adel Holdampf-Wendel, head of labor law at Bitkom.

What does Bitkom propose to change specifically for IT staff?

DW: According to Bitkom, almost 100,000 vacancies in the IT field are not filled in Germany. His association has asked the government to purposely attract Belarusian and Russian IT specialists who want to emigrate to Germany. How do you imagine this?

Adele Holdampf-Wendel: We believe that it is necessary to offer support to those who want to emigrate, first of all, to speed up the visa issuance procedure for them. We have presented a special program called #greencard22, which, inter alia, offers the issuance of residence and work permits to specialists who already have a specific job offer within a week.

IT professionals who do not yet have a specific offer can obtain an expedited job search visa procedure. So that they have the opportunity to find an employer here within six months and apply for a regular work permit. We are also in favor of speeding up certain procedures related to the recognition of training or professional experience. In addition, we believe it is necessary to lower the requirements for knowledge of the German language, at least before entering the country. You can also learn the language after moving to Germany.

IT professionals also need information assistance. It is necessary to disseminate information about existing support services and hotlines, as well as provide interested professionals with personal advice and additional information on living conditions in Germany, housing, schooling, childcare, courses and integration offers to learn the language. German. This information needs to be systematized and made available in Russian. All this is already in many places, but perhaps not yet well known to the target audience.

– IT specialists had the opportunity to get the EU Blue Card before. Was this program not attractive enough for citizens of Russia and Belarus?

– We realize that the issuance of the Blue Card is relatively time consuming. In this special situation that has now developed, we will make it easier for people if their cases are resolved faster.

– Has there already been a reaction to this proposal from the German government?

– Of course, we are discussing this issue with politicians. But now I cannot say to what extent our proposals will be implemented.

How many IT professionals can move

– Do you have statistics on how many IT specialists from Russia and Belarus came to Germany in the past?

– I don’t have this data about Germany. But we hear from official sources, as well as the press, that probably around 170,000 IT specialists have already left Russia and mostly remain in neighboring countries. Perhaps one of them is making long-term plans and looking for a new place to live.

– Can Germany compete with the US, leader in relocation of IT professionals?

– We know that a program for IT specialists is already planned in the US, requirements for candidates will be reduced and procedures will be accelerated. So undoubtedly many other countries are interested in securing these talents in their own economic space and perhaps starting a new life there.

Will IT experts be verified? It is like?

– Bitkom called for measures to eliminate potential security risks and combat sabotage. What are the measures?

– It’s about standard procedures. Even at the visa application stage, a certain identity check is carried out so that this or that person does not pose a danger to Germany. When it comes to confidential data or protection from sabotage, there are also procedures in place under the Security Release Act. This goes for the IT industry when it comes to critical infrastructure. There, security checks are carried out by the authorities, by the Federal Department for the Protection of the Constitution, and must be carried out in a standardized way.

– Is the Federal Department for the Protection of the Constitution or some other body responsible for this?

– Different departments are responsible for this, but it is regulated by law.

– Do you know anything about how exactly these checks are performed?

– I don’t know the specific details, but there is a security service, a questionnaire that needs to be filled out, then an interview is done. I don’t know the details. But I know that there are official standardized procedures for this.

– Is this standard procedure or do you think that due to the war it is now necessary to check candidates more carefully?

– It will be at the discretion of the authorities. But judging by the security services’ reports, they assume that the risk of sabotage or sabotage may increase and that certain people may be recruited for espionage. So, of course, the threat in cyberspace has increased. This is also understood by companies that are much more aware of data security and are trying to build their systems so that there are as few gaps in their protection as possible.

– Bitkom in his proposal also noted that it must be ensured that candidates do not support the Russian war in Ukraine and share the most important principles and values ​​of democracy in Germany. How are they going to test this?

– As far as I know, this is also part of the standard test that a person adheres to the principles of liberty and democracy and does not oppose them.

– And how to check it? Through social networks? If desired, these views can be hidden relatively quickly.

– Such an audit will not be carried out by Bitkom, we leave it to the discretion of the authorities, who have experience in this and have developed standard procedures.

– That is, your organization simply invites the authorities to pay attention to this?

– Yea.