Kenyan President William Ruto and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz give a press conference in Berlin on Friday. Liesa Johannssen/Reuters
Germany has struck a controlled migration deal with Kenya, which will see Berlin open its doors to skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers.
The deal was signed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Kenya’s president William Ruto on Friday. Ruto landed in Germany on Friday for an official two-day visit.
While the exact number of workers that will arrive in Germany has not been disclosed, a spokesperson for Kenya’s presidential office previously said it was looking at employment opportunities for up to 250,000 Kenyans.
Migration is a major flashpoint in Germany, and has fueled the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Germany welcomed more than one million people during the migrant crisis of 2015-2016 and more recently took in large numbers of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion.
The agreement comes as Scholz’s government launches a crackdown on illegal immigration, recently announcing a tightening of border controls.
Late last month, Berlin unveiled new security measures aimed at speeding up the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants which will begin next week.
