THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Since its introduction in August 2012, 53704 highly-qualified immigrants have received an EU Blue Card in Germany, according to figures just released by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
The EU Blue Card, a single work and residence permit, allows non-EU citizens with a university degree to take up employment in the EU commensurate with their qualifications. Holders often work in occupations with highly-skilled labour requirements.
Germany is at the forefront in the issuance of the EU Blue Card within the European Union. In 2015 the German share of all visas issued in the EU was more than 85 per cent, according to the BAMF.
“We see through the figures quite clearly that Germany is an attractive country for highly-qualified immigrants and the EU Blue Card is a sought-after opportunity to work here,” says Dr Uta Dauke, Vice-President of the BAMF.
Out of the recipients of the work visa, over 32,800 were still in Germany at the end of December 2016. In addition, more than 14,700 former Blue Card holders now live with a different residence permit in the country – more than 90 per cent of them have a permanent residency.
The EU Blue Card was launched in August 2012 to address skills shortages in the European Union. It is a temporary residence permit for highly-qualified immigrants from non-EU countries and it offers holders the prospects of eventually obtaining a right of permanent residence at an early stage of their stay.
The EU Blue Card is awarded to persons who have a university degree and a work permit for employment in Germany and who earn a certain annual minimum income (50.800 euros for 2017). A lower minimum income (39,624 euros) applies to skilled workers in occupations with a highly-skilled labour force, such as engineering, natural sciences, computer science and human medicine.
The main countries of origin of the immigrants are India, China, Russia, Ukraine and Syria.
Femi Awoniyi
General information on the EU Blue Card is available from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees website at www.bamf.de and from the portal for qualified professionals www.make-it-in-germany.com
