Greens: Improve integration of foreign nursing staff

In the view of the Greens, Saxony urgently needs to improve the integration of foreign nursing staff. Faction leader Franziska Schubert accused the government of inactivity on this issue. There is currently no concept for integrating nursing staff from third countries, Schubert concluded from the Ministry of Social Affairs' response to a minor question from her. However, nursing staff from abroad are an important source of support to remedy the shortage of skilled workers.

Greens: Government hiding behind paragraphs

"Saxony needs an active integration policy for nursing staff - with clear responsibilities, reliable data and real local support. So that there are enough nursing staff in Saxony and every person who needs care also receives care," emphasized Schubert.

However, the Saxon government is hiding behind paragraphs instead of enabling rapid and sustainable integration. "This is particularly clear when it comes to data and transparency: the ministry does not collect any figures on residence permits, processing times or rejections."

According to Schubert, this means that there is no basis for identifying bottlenecks and taking targeted countermeasures. "If you don't even know how many care workers are affected, you can't develop an effective strategy."

Government should not shift responsibility to employers

The government is also shifting responsibility for language and professional integration - to employers, institutions and "the social environment", Schubert quoted from the ministry's response.

There is no mention of state assistance, for example in the expansion of language courses and the search for housing. "Yet it is precisely these services that are crucial for care workers to stay and integrate in Saxony. And thus secure care in the state in the long term."

With regard to the staff shortage in the care sector, Schubert called for the authorities to act quickly. "It is unacceptable that the procedures for recognizing foreign qualifications take months or even years. Anyone who wants to seriously combat the shortage of skilled workers in the care sector must also take action here."

Minister: Government can only play a mediating role if necessary

In her response, Social Affairs Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) pointed out that the government can neither influence nor prescribe the linguistic and professional integration of foreign nursing staff.

"Rather, it is the responsibility of the (recruiting) employers and the professional and social environment to establish an appropriate welcoming culture locally and to support the new citizens in a wide variety of matters - such as ongoing language acquisition," it said. The government can only play a mediating role if necessary.

Köpping had repeatedly called for more speed in the recognition of foreign qualifications. "Our goal must be to make recognition procedures simpler, faster and more effective without jeopardizing patient safety," she said during a visit to a facility in Pulsnitz that trains and employs nursing staff from Brazil. However, there also needs to be a guarantee that only sufficiently qualified staff receive recognition.