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Deportation of the Colombian nurses: Wilstedt in danger!
In Lower Saxony, Colombian nursing staff were threatened with deportation. A petition and training tolerance prevent the closure of a nursing home for the time being.
Deportation of the Colombian nurses: Wilstedt in danger!
In Wilstedt, Lower Saxony, not far from Bremen, a dramatic case of deportation made headlines. A third of a nursing home's workforce was at risk of returning to Colombia, which could lead to the home's imminent closure. Loud Legal dispatch The Colombian nursing staff who had applied for asylum were turned away by the German authorities, which made the situation in the home appear more than critical.
The home managers Andrea and Tino Wohlmacher, who look after 48 residents with dementia, showed great commitment to finding a solution. Their efforts to address asylum applications and the immigration of skilled workers caused a stir and have already achieved initial success. Ten nursing assistants are allowed to stay for the time being, thanks to training permits that offer them professional prospects. According to the Wohlmachers, the shortage of employees in the nursing sector is urgent and the need for migration is undeniable. This also confirms dw.com, which point out that Germany currently lacks around 115,000 professional nursing staff in full-time positions.
Petition and political support
The situation of Colombian nurses was brought into the political spotlight by a petition that collected over 89,000 signatures. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach accepted this petition and promised to do everything legally possible to solve the problem. This is directly related to a planned recruiting trip by Lower Saxony ministries to Colombia, which is scheduled to take place in July 2025. The aim is to recruit qualified specialists and to put refugee policy on a new basis.
In Wilstedt there has already been a reaction to the attitude of the refugee organizations. The Lower Saxony Refugee Council and the organization “Right to Asylum” are calling for a review of the existing deportation practice to Colombia in order to find humane solutions. There is a strong impression that the right to asylum in Germany for Colombians is extremely low, with an acceptance rate of only 0.4 percent.
The future of care in Germany
Joachim Stamp, special representative for migration agreements, is holding talks in Bogotá to continue pushing forward skilled immigration. Meanwhile, the nursing staff in Wilstedt are waiting for the final decision from the Lower Saxony Hardship Commission, which will decide their fate. They are trained in various professions such as nursing assistants, nursing specialists and cooks, which offers them important perspectives and can avert the impending deportation for the time being.
The development in Wilstedt impressively shows how urgent the situation is in the care industry. The Wohlmarchers' successes underline the value of migration and the need to integrate skilled workers in Germany in the long term. Not only are the jobs of the nursing staff at stake, but also the care and well-being of the many seniors who rely on their support. Also spiegel.de emphasizes that there is a need for action here from both a social and humanitarian perspective.
The coming months will be crucial for the future of Colombian nurses in Germany, and it is to be hoped that the pressure for political change will bring fruitful results.