FACING LARGE INFLUX REFUGIES IN EUROPE BUSINESS IS BECOMING AN OPPORTUNITY

USPA NEWS - The response to the large influx of refugies crisis was varying from enormously and the debate has become deeply politicised. International organisations, non-governmental agencies and religious leaders have weighed in as well...

The response to the large influx of refugies crisis was varying from enormously and the debate has become deeply politicised. International organisations, non-governmental agencies and religious leaders have weighed in as well. European business has been strangely silent at this time when it is more powerful than ever, with multinational corporations stretching around the world, the private sector should be working with governments and NGOs to help address the short-term and long-term challenges posed.

For countless Syrians, Afghans, Libyans and Eritreans fleeing war and oppression in their home countries and seeking refuge in Europe, Germany is their chief destination. Beyond the humanitarian imperative to offer protection, businesses are increasingly seeing an economic case to keep the asylum seekers, mostly since Germany's rapidly ageing population and low birth rate are slowly depleting its pool of skilled labour.

The influx migrants could therefore be the answer as many of them are young and have very good skills. But businesses must prove that there is no German candidate to fill a position before they hire a refugee or asylum-seeker, a rule which the Labour Agency would like to see abolished as soon as possible. On businesses' wish list are the speeding up procedures for recognising professional and educational qualifications, assessing arrival's qualifications upon registration and putting more money on the table to help them learn German.

Europe's refugee crisis continues to be viewed solely as a political problem, in part because that is how the media portray it.