German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, bottom right, signs a migration agreement with Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, left, as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, center, and Kenyan President William Ruto, left, look on at the Chancellery in Berlin, on Sept. 13, 2024. AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Kenyan President William Ruto signed an agreement on Sept. 13 in Berlin to facilitate the recruitment of skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers to live and work in Germany. The deal, called the Kenya-Germany Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement, does not specify the number of Kenyan workers to be brought into Europe’s biggest economy, but experts cited by German news outlet Deutsche Welle indicate that the country has a labor shortage that could be met by importing around 400,000 skilled immigrants every year.

“This agreement can help us to compensate for a shortage of skilled workers,” Scholtz said at a signing ceremony in Berlin on Friday. “On the other side of the coin, the agreement provides for effective return procedures for those who have come to us from Kenya but do not have or cannot acquire the right to stay here. They can now return home more easily and quickly.”

In a statement posted on social media on Saturday, Kenya’s president expressed optimism about the deal, acknowledging Germany’s support and highlighting Kenya’s commitment to meeting Germany’s labor demands.

“The agreement provides various pathways for Kenyans to work and train in Kenya and Germany,” he stated. “We are fully cognizant of the Labour demands for Germany and the available talented and qualified Kenyan Labour supply. As a Government we are committed to ensuring that those in the Labour migration space are licensed, ethical, and persons who will not take advantage of Kenyan job seekers. We will adhere to best international Labour migration practices.”