New Delhi: German ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann Monday said his country is emerging as an alternative place for skilled Indian workers and students, amid stricter US migration policies and USD 100,000 fees imposed by the Trump administration on new H-1B visa applications.

In a conversation with ThePrint, he said Germany’s migration policies are liberal and relatively stable for skilled Indian workers. Ackermann said that currently 60,000 Indian students are studying in the country, a growth of 20 percent over last year, whereas this year there were 35 percent more applications.

“All State-run universities in Germany, which is 90 percent of total universities, are very happy with Indian students because of their skillset and contribution to the academic landscape in the country,” Ackermann said.

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The ambassador added, “Our offer to the Indian students is that German State-run universities are free, and upon graduation a person can work as long as there is a job.”

Germany’s appeal comes at a time when many Indian students are reevaluating their option to go to the US for higher studies amid fear of not getting any jobs. The Trump administration recently hiked the fresh H-1B visa application fee to USD 100,000.

Germans have an overwhelmingly positive experience working with Indians, so while migration remains a debated topic in the country, Indians might not be on the wrong side of it, he said. “Indians are considered diligent and industrious people, who pay taxes and adapt to working conditions by many German employers,” Ackermann said.

“There is a huge opportunity for skilled Indian workers to fill open vacancies in Germany not only in the information technology sector but in nursing and care-giving sectors as well,” he further added. “We issue nearly 30,000 work visas for skilled workers but if need arises, we can increase it further as well.”

Last week, the German ambassador also made an appeal from his official account on X to skilled Indians, inviting them to take jobs in Germany in sectors like IT, science, management and technology.

Ackermann told ThePrint, “India has a huge strategic advantage with availability of human capital and if aging Western societies need to sustain their standing of living, they need to open up migration.”

However, with the growing prominence of right-wing parties in Germany like Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), there is a fear that Indian migrants and students might not be welcomed in the country.

The German ambassador, however, allayed any such apprehensions, stating that right-wing parties like AfD are not against skilled migration, they are against “illegal migration that includes refugees and asylum seekers”.

“While migration would continue to remain a debated topic in Germany, skilled migration from India including students would not find animosity or hostility in Germany,” Ackermann said.

(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)

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