This is the first ever comprehensive mobility and migration agreement for Germany with any country. It will include facilitating two-way mobility of students, professional and researchers and it will also cover both legal migration and cooperation on the return of migrants.

A number of news reports are stating that the agreement has been signed but according to the joint statement released by the India’s Ministry of External Affairs, a broader outline and intention has been agreed between India and Germany, but details and specifics are yet to be formulated and signed off.

This becomes clear from the relevant excerpt of the published joint statement.  It states that: ‘Both Governments welcomed the finalization of the negotiations on the bilateral agreement between Germany and India on a comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership as documented by today’s initialling of the draft agreement in the English language. They agreed to take action to swiftly sign the agreement and bring it into force. They highlighted the importance of this agreement in facilitating two-way mobility of students, professional and researchers as well as addressing the challenges of illegal migration’.

The intent also includes supporting each other’s efforts to expand the internationalisation of their higher education systems, to further interlink the innovation and research landscapes of both countries and to strengthen dual structures for vocational education and training.

Both governments will seek to  explore collaboration between Indian and German universities, for example in the form of joint degrees and dual degrees. German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has constituted a bilateral working group on double degree programmes with the aim to publish a guide for double/joint degree programmes in the Germany-India context. India will encourage exchange of students and facilitate admission of German students in higher education institutions under programmes like Study in India.

British Council comments:

The fine print is yet to come to make a well-informed analysis but basis the available information and prevailing context, Germany has not been that an attractive destination for overseas studies for Indian students except when seen from the point of view of immigration. It is partly due to the language of instruction in education and employment.

A sure way of getting into the German labour market is through undertaking education in Germany and this is what is likely to be a principal element of the new agreement.  This may push the numbers of Indian students.

Currently, as reported in media, there are no more than 17,000 Indian students studying in Germany and they are not in the same pecking order as Australia, Canada, UK and the US. However, Indian skilled workers are in high demand by German employers. The young demography of India with 64% of its population in the working-age group is an extremely attractive prospect for European countries such as Germany, with a rapidly ageing population. Engineering and IT sectors have the largest workforce gap in Germany, and there is expectation that for PG programmes in these sectors, there will be an increased inflow of students from India.

Another workforce shortage faced in Germany is the heath care sector. A placement agreement has been signed between German Federal Employment Agency and Kerala state government. Such an agreement model may extend to other sectors and with more Indian states to plug gaps across various occupational groups in Germany.  

If you have any questions, write to Sandeepa Sahay

Further read :

https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/35251

https://www.bundesregierung.de/resource/blob/997532/2029884/191fdc2d770102c12d4063c504e1ef9b/2022-05-02-joint-statement-6th-german-indian-inter-governmental-consultations-ger-ind-en-data.pdf?download=1

https://thepienews.com/news/germany-agrees-first-ever-mobility-partnership-with-india/?mc_cid=ac97b4eefe&mc_eid=2a1e92af50

https://www.orfonline.org/research/india-and-germany/

https://www.studyinternational.com/news/germany-india-mobility-partnership/