BERLIN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The German government is seeking migration agreements with Georgia, Moldova, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and is preparing for talks with Kenya and Morocco to regulate the recruitment of skilled workers and to simultaneously prevent illegal migration, according to the Tagesspiegel newspaper report recently.

Georgia and Moldova were "a priority because here we could immediately reduce irregular migration, and both countries wish for partnerships," Joachim Stamp, special representative of the German government for migration agreements, was quoted by the newspaper as saying on Tuesday.

More than 10 percent of the rejected asylum applications in Germany come from Georgia and Moldova, which is why an agreement would ease the burden on municipalities and courts in the country.

In the first six months of the year, the number of unauthorized entries into Germany rose by more than half year-on-year to 45,338, the Federal Police said. The number of human smuggling cases also increased.

According to official data, Germany's net migration rate (inward minus outward) rose to a record 1.5 million people in 2022. Most new immigrants to Europe's largest economy arrive from Ukraine, followed by Syria, Afghanistan and Türkiye.

Germany's liberal immigration policy has become a cause of social tensions. According to a recent Civey survey for Focus magazine, 83 percent of Germans fear that taking in refugees leads to problems concerning security, the housing market or the social system.

There is already a major shortage of skilled workers in Germany, making the country's aging population dependent on immigration. According to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), the shortage could reach 7 million workers by 2035 unless sufficient countermeasures were taken.

The German government has recently passed a new law to facilitate the immigration of skilled workers from countries outside the European Union (EU).

Migration deals with countries such as Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan provide further opportunities for recruitment. During his visit to the above countries last week, Stamp said he had met "very committed and competent young workers who speak German very well and are needed as skilled workers in our country." Enditem

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