Warren Mulekhanu, a 28-year-old from Kenya, has achieved his dream of living and working in Germany. For the past three months, he and four other Kenyans have been training as bus drivers in Flensburg.
Despite the weather, which he notes can be rainy even when sunny, he is enjoying his time there. Germany faces a significant labor shortage, exacerbated by an aging population and declining birth rates, with a reported annual need for 400,000 skilled workers.
To address this, Germany is pursuing migration agreements with countries such as Uzbekistan, Ghana, and the Philippines, aiming to simplify labor migration while expediting the return of rejected asylum seekers. A recent agreement with Kenya reflects these efforts.
The Flensburg bus company is among those in need, with 40% of its staff retiring in the next eight years. Director Paul Hemkentokrax has tried various recruitment strategies but now relies on a recruitment agency with Kenyan connections to fill the gap.
Thousands of applications were received, leading to the selection of five Kenyans whose travel and training expenses are covered. They also receive language and cultural orientation, along with guidance on navigating German bureaucracy and the existence of racism.
Mulekhanu, who was a bus driver in Kenya, is learning to adapt to driving on the right side and other differences. He hopes to work in Germany for years and is looking forward to vacationing in Kenya.
If this initiative succeeds, the Flensburg company may recruit more Kenyan drivers. Germany’s political climate supports labor migration, contrasting with calls in other countries to limit it, as seen in the backing from the CDU/CSU.
Oliver Reetz from the recruitment agency views the project as a model for other German businesses, emphasizing the mutual benefits of labor migration.
Source: NOS