Germany has long been an attractive destination for skilled workers, thanks to its reputation for providing good jobs, relatively high salaries and social benefits including universal healthcare and free education.
In addition, recent reforms such as the Skilled Immigration Act and the Opportunity Card have made it easier for non-EU professionals to obtain work visas and ultimately secure permanent residency.
But despite these advantages, many skilled immigrants still choose to leave. According to the most recent available figures from Germany's statistics office, around 1,264,000 foreign citizens chose to leave Germany in 2024.
According to the Interior Ministry, the government issued 172,000 work visas in the same year (up from 158,000 the previous year).
There are no official statistics on exactly how many foreign skilled workers leave each year, evidence suggests they are likely overrepresented in these figures.
Given the widely reported skilled labour shortage in Germany, this is a pressing issue not only for international residents, but for the country as a whole.
READ ALSO: Germany's skilled labour shortage intensifies across industries
Why do foreign skilled workers leave Germany?
To understand why skilled immigrants choose to leave Germany, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation conducted a study surveying 400 mostly highly qualified individuals who had lived in Germany before moving home or to a third country, as well as some who had then chosen to come back.
The study revealed that social factors, rather than purely economic ones, are the primary drivers for skilled workers leaving Germany.
The most commonly cited challenge was building a circle of friends with German-speaking people (41 percent), followed by finding accommodation and integrating children into schools and daycare.
Discrimination and social exclusion
First-hand accounts in the study also highlighted the impact of discrimination and exclusion.
One respondent from Peru described experiencing racist abuse “by professors, on the street, by the immigration authorities and by my children's school”.
Another, from Turkey, noted, “We were severely discriminated against in Germany, even in academic institutions. Because of our skin colour and our lack of German language skills, life there is extremely difficult.”
READ ALSO: 'I've never felt welcome' - Why immigrants are leaving Germany
Bureaucratic hurdles and value for taxes
Frustration with bureaucracy is another recurring theme.
As one person from India put it, “We have serious concerns about the value of the taxes we pay, especially with regard to access to healthcare, immigration services and other bureaucratic processes.”
Social integration and belonging
A significant proportion of respondents (38 percent) reported not feeling comfortable or at home in Germany.
Professional success does not guarantee social integration, and many skilled workers said they struggled to build meaningful connections, leading to feelings of isolation.
READ ALSO: How immigration keeps the German economy running
Economic factors and career prospects
Some groups, particularly those from EU-11 countries (which consists mostly of the central, eastern and Baltic European nations that joined the EU in 2004 or later) and South and Central America, reported being on lower incomes in Germany than other respondents.
This contributed to their feelings of dissatisfaction when combined with the cost of living and relatively high taxes. The income tax rate in Romania and Bulgaria, for example, is only ten percent.
What would make foreign skilled workers return to Germany?
About 40 percent of former skilled workers said that they were open to returning to Germany, especially those who had left for temporary reasons and who were already able to speak the language.
But barriers such as finding work and housing, as well as the perceived lack of a warm welcome, remain significant.
READ ALSO: Majority of Germans believe the country has seen too much immigration
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