Damien Thuriaux is Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Germany. He oversees IOM's work across a broad range of migration issues, including labour mobility, return and reintegration, migrant protection, and migration governance. Drawing on IOM's global operational experience, he works with governments, international partners and civil society to promote safe, orderly and regular migration pathways.
In this interview he answered questions about how regular labour mobility programmes support growing labour shortages in Germany.
Match: Many European countries are facing demographic change and growing labour shortages. What role can regular labour mobility programmes play in addressing these challenges over the long term?
Thuriaux: Across many countries, there is an ongoing discussion about how to meet labour market needs in the years ahead. These challenges are driven by long-term structural trends: populations are ageing, many sectors are struggling to find qualified workers, and demand for skilled labour is expected to continue growing.
Germany is not alone in facing these realities. Many industrialized countries are currently exploring new approaches to regular labour mobility.
Regular labour mobility can help connect these labour market needs with the educational, vocational and professional aspirations of people around the world. It enables employers to access additional talent and skills, while creating new opportunities for migrants to develop their careers and build their futures. This inevitably results in governments being in full control of migration flows by reducing migrants’ needs for irregular migration.
At the same time, labour mobility should be seen as part of a broader response. Investments in education, training, upskilling and integration remain essential. The better these elements are connected, the more sustainable labour mobility programmes can become in helping to address labour shortages.
From our perspective, the most successful programmes are those that go beyond recruitment and invest in skills development, language learning and long-term integration.
Match: Many countries have introduced new pathways for labour migration in recent years. Why is it not enough to simply create legal routes for migration?
Thuriaux: Legal pathways to international labour markets are an essential foundation, but they are only one part of what makes labour mobility successful.
Germany has taken an important step with the reform of its Skilled Immigration Act. The new framework creates a wide range of opportunities for people to come to Germany for vocational training and employment. It provides a strong foundation and can serve as an example for other countries looking to expand regular migration pathways.
At the same time, experience shows that a strong legal framework does not automatically mean that those opportunities are easy to access. The German system is complex, involving different authorities, ministries and administrative procedures relating to visas, recognition of qualifications and entry requirements. In our conversations with stakeholders from various fields, it has become evident that even for people who are familiar with the system, navigating these processes can be challenging. The DIHK, for instance, has explicitly identified the complexity of the overall regulations as an issue. It constantly calls for immigration procedures to become faster, more transparent and simpler, and says companies need easily accessible contact persons and stronger advisory structures, particularly SMEs. For someone applying from abroad, the barriers can be significantly greater and discourage them from even trying. This is where migrants need support. If procedures are too complex or difficult to understand, people may abandon the process, choose a different destination country, or rely on private services to navigate the system. In some cases, this can increase financial burdens and create risks of exploitation, for example when people encounter unethical intermediaries or take on debt to access support.
That is why transparent information, fair recruitment practices and protection from excessive recruitment fees must be built into labour mobility programmes from the outset. A legal pathway should not only exist on paper; it must also be genuinely accessible and safe for the people who use it.
For this reason, labour mobility should be understood as a process that begins long before departure.
Experience shows that programmes are most effective when all parts of that process are connected and participants are supported throughout the journey.
Match: What makes a labour mobility pathway successful, and what should be considered when designing one?
Thuriaux: Successful labour mobility creates trust and predictability for everyone involved. Employers need access to the skills they require. Migrants need fair conditions, reliable information and realistic prospects. At the same time, countries of origin and destination should both be able to benefit from mobility in the long term.
As an international organization, IOM brings together the perspectives of migrants, countries of origin and destination, and other key stakeholders. Successful labour mobility is not created by labour demand alone. It depends on solutions that also reflect the needs, interests and aspirations of the people who take part in these programmes.
This requires close cooperation between different partners. Employers, educational institutions, governments and international organizations each contribute different expertise and experience. The most effective programmes are usually those where these actors work together and share responsibility.
Just as importantly, successful labour mobility requires long-term commitment. Skilled workers cannot simply be mobilized at the push of a button when shortages arise. Building sustainable pathways takes time and requires investment in partnerships, preparation, language and skills development, as well as integration. Employers and other partners therefore need to think beyond immediate vacancies and engage strategically over the longer term.
The preparation of migrants, engagement with employers and support for integration all play an important role in determining whether a programme succeeds over the long term.
This is also one of IOM’s key contributions: helping bring different perspectives together and turning existing legal opportunities into labour mobility pathways that are practical, fair and sustainable.
Transparent procedures, fair recruitment and thorough preparation are equally important. When these elements work together and integration is considered from the outset, labour mobility is much more likely to achieve lasting results.
Match: Through PAVE, IOM, Lingoda and Match are creating regular pathways to Germany for young people from Colombia. What makes this approach unique, and what lessons could it offer for other labour mobility programmes?
Thuriaux: What makes PAVE unique is that we do not view labour mobility as a simple recruitment exercise. Together with our partners, we are building a structured pathway that begins with preparation in the country of origin and continues through training and integration in Germany.
Lingoda brings extensive expertise in language training and a strong understanding of the German labour market, particularly in the healthcare sector. Together with Match, we combine this expertise with IOM’s international experience in designing fair, safe and sustainable labour mobility programmes. The key difference is that we are not focusing on individual steps in isolation. Instead, we are taking joint responsibility for the entire process.
We can already see what this looks like in practice in Colombia. Today, we are supporting around 100 young people as they prepare for vocational training and potential careers in Germany. They are not only learning German; they are also being prepared step by step for life and work in Germany and matched with suitable employers. That is where the real value lies. We are not simply filling a vacancy in Germany. We are investing in a person and their long-term professional development.
PAVE also demonstrates that the private sector can play an active role in shaping well-managed labour mobility. At the same time, sustainable labour mobility should remain a shared responsibility. If programmes like this are to be scaled up and sustained over time, governments and public institutions must also be part of the equation.
Another important aspect is that we do not approach labour migration solely from the perspective of destination countries or labour shortages in Germany. PAVE is designed around training and skills development. The goal is to create additional opportunities, particularly for young people who may otherwise have limited access to education, training or employment.
This is equally important for countries of origin. Sustainable labour mobility should not contribute to shortages by actively recruiting already-trained professionals from sectors that are themselves facing workforce challenges. That is why PAVE focuses on training in Germany rather than recruiting already-qualified professionals, such as nurses, from the Colombian labour market.
At the same time, we work closely with partners and government counterparts in Colombia to reach people who may face barriers to employment or further education because of their socio-economic circumstances, limited financial resources or experiences of displacement. Creating new skills and new opportunities is therefore a central element of the programme.
Perhaps the most important lesson from PAVE is that labour mobility should be understood as a long-term investment and a shared responsibility. Legal pathways are the foundation, but they are not enough on their own. When businesses, specialized partners, international organizations and, over time, public authorities combine their strengths and invest in language training, skills development, fair recruitment, preparation and integration, it becomes possible to create labour mobility programmes that generate lasting benefits for migrants, employers, and countries of origin and destination alike.
This reflects IOM’s broader approach to labour mobility: managing mobility across the entire process while bringing together the interests of migrants, employers, and countries of origin and destination.
Match: Thank you for your time and your insights!
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