Germany is recruiting for migrants – with the help of a New Delhi rickshaw.
A three-wheeler hired by one of Germany's ruling parties tells IT workers in India: “Getting a German work visa has never been easier”.
The stunt came as MPs in Berlin passed a law throwing Germany's doors open for economic migrants.
With an ageing population, Germany faces a labour shortage and is turning to foreigners to plug gaps in hospitals, social care, schools, kindergartens and the IT sector.
The shortage is “one of the biggest brakes on German economic growth”, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told Parliament on Friday.
Germany needs an estimated 400,000 people a year to fill gaps and the new law opens up several paths for migrants.
IT workers can show job experience to apply for a Blue Card residence permit even if they do not have a degree.
Migrants who score highly on a new points system can get an “opportunity card” that lets them come to Germany and seek trial shifts.
Points can be accumulated for speaking English or German, having qualifications and being under 35.
A recruitment drive from non-EU countries in the Western Balkans is being widened with the number of visas doubled to 50,000 a year.
Rules are being relaxed on skilled migrants bringing their parents to Germany.
And asylum seekers who arrived before March 29 may be able to switch their application to a work visa if they are qualified.
The cut-off point has been set to head off opposition claims that the new law will encourage speculative asylum claims.
“Dear IT experts, coders and web developers, listen up: getting a German work visa has never been easier for professionals,” reads the rickshaw message in English.
It invites Indians to scan a QR code to learn about the new immigration law, which passed by a 388-234 vote in Parliament.
Ann-Veruschka Jurisch, an MP from the business-friendly Free Democrats behind the rickshaw stunt, said the Western Balkans arrangement could be widened to other parts of the world.
In return Germany is likely to demand measures to block irregular migration. Ms Faeser this week visited Tunisia where many citizens have claimed asylum in the EU.
“Germany is clearly positioning itself as a modern immigration nation on the international labour market,” Ms Jurisch said.
The opposition said Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government was opening the door to unskilled migrants.
Andrea Lindholz from the centre-right Christian Democrats said ministers were sending the “wrong signal” amid concerns about illegal migration.
She condemned the lowering of a language skill threshold so that some migrants, she claimed, would need to speak only 300 words of German.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) strongly condemned the new law and called for jobs to be filled by unemployed Germans.
Concerns over migration and have been blamed in part for a polling bounce for the AfD, which surpassed Mr Scholz's Social Democrats in a new survey on Thursday.
“Our problem is not that there are too few people in our country,” far-right MP Norbert Kleinwaechter said.
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
SHAITTAN
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
