What does the migration agreement with Kenya bring?

Chancellor Scholz sees the migration agreement with Kenya as a success, calling it a “win-win situation.” But only a small number of Kenyans seek asylum. And Germany is often not the first choice for skilled workers.

The prime minister has described the new migration agreement with Kenya as a “win-win situation” for both people and economies. At first glance, a win-win sounds good. In headline-grabbing terms, Kenya has agreed to facilitate the return of rejected German asylum seekers to Kenya. But fewer than 500 Kenyans applied for asylum in Germany last year.

This is about 0.1% of asylum applications, so there will be no mass repatriation from Germany to Kenya as the opposition and some in the population are currently demanding.

Other countries are also hiring Kenya’s skilled workforce

Another part of the agreement is aimed at the migration of skilled workers. Germany is particularly in need of skilled workers in hospitals and kindergartens. But other countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and the Gulf countries, are also competing for these skilled workers. It is much easier to immigrate from Kenya to an English-speaking country than to study German at your own expense for at least a year and a half.

Kenya’s capital is also known as Silicon Savannah in the tech industry. Numerous tech companies and startups have settled here. Programming is now part of the school curriculum. However, it is not yet clear whether IT professionals want to work in Germany.

Google and Microsoft are already based in Nairobi and are competing for highly sought-after computer scientists, so you can make good money in IT without having to leave the country.

key Cost of living Surprise some people and chase them away

And the question is whether Germans and Kenyans can or want to work together. In Nairobi, there are regular local study evenings to give a realistic picture of everyday life in Germany and to explain the differences in coexistence. It can be very cold and grey in Germany. Compared to Kenyans, Germans are said to be much more direct in their approach and more reserved towards strangers.

Kenyans in Germany are already exchanging ideas with their compatriots through social networks like WhatsApp, which address the same issues that many Germans are concerned about: finding a place to live and the high cost of living.

Experience of racism It’s an issue in Germany

The experience of racism in Germany is already being reflected in Kenya. It is no secret that black people in Germany have been subjected to insults and physical attacks.

The success of the agreement will therefore largely depend on the day-to-day experiences of the first batch of Kenyan skilled workers, their visa procedures, dealing with authorities, supermarket visits and apartment tours.