Germany’s Growing Partnership with Morocco to Address Healthcare Worker Shortages
Germany is increasingly seeking international collaboration to tackle a significant shortage of qualified health and social care workers, especially in elderly care facilities. Among the countries being tapped for support is Morocco, as part of a broader strategy involving recruitment initiatives and training programs.
A key player in this effort is Caritas, a Catholic relief organization, which has been leading projects in the Rhein-Sieg region. The third group of Moroccan nurses and social care workers is currently undergoing training in several nursing homes and hospitals across the area. This initiative reflects a growing trend in addressing staffing challenges through cross-border partnerships.
Dennis Bonke, director of Haus Elisabeth, a senior care home, highlighted the decline in local applications for elderly care and hospital jobs over the years. “Some years we barely received any applications,” he said. However, the situation has changed significantly, with several trainees now working in two Caritas-run care homes in Niederkassel and Hennef. Out of these, 18 have come from Morocco as part of a special partnership.
Caritas has been collaborating with German language schools in Morocco and conducted in-person interviews there in early 2023. The first batch of Moroccan trainees arrived in Germany that same year, and the third cohort began its training four months ago. This structured approach ensures that participants are well-prepared before they start their roles in German healthcare facilities.
One Moroccan nurse participating in the program shared insights about job prospects in his home country. “In Morocco, a nurse earns around 500 to 600 euros per month,” he said. Through the Caritas program, trainees in their first year can earn around 3,550 euros per month, and during the training period, they receive between 1,524 and 1,687 euros monthly. This substantial difference in income is a major incentive for many Moroccans seeking better opportunities abroad.
A study by the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research revealed that Germany’s critical shortage of care workers has led to elderly patients staying in hospitals up to 40% longer. Many nursing homes are reportedly unable to admit new patients due to staffing shortfalls that prevent them from meeting legal minimum personnel requirements.
Susanne Baumgart, director of the Goethe Institute in Rabat, noted that labor migration is a long-standing tradition in Morocco. “Remittances from Moroccans abroad represent about 8.3% of the country’s GDP,” she said. She also mentioned that Germany and Morocco signed a labor agreement 55 years ago to bring workers into Germany’s metal industry. “What’s new now is the expansion into sectors such as hospitality and health care,” she added.
Despite facing a domestic shortage of doctors and specialized nurses, particularly as the country builds new hospitals, Morocco's high unemployment rate among graduates means international training and work opportunities are still widely welcomed. This dynamic creates a win-win scenario for both countries.
According to Germany’s Federal Employment Agency, the country’s aging population has placed increasing pressure on its healthcare system. Vanessa Ahuja, a board member responsible for international affairs at the agency, emphasized the importance of foreign nurses in sustaining the sector. “The sector might have collapsed without foreign nurses. Nearly a quarter of workers in elderly care homes do not hold German citizenship.”
Last year alone, 13,000 new healthcare professionals arrived in Germany under the Skilled Immigration Act. The agency also reported a decline in health workers coming from the European Economic Area and Switzerland, prompting employers to look for skilled personnel outside the EU. This shift underscores the growing reliance on international talent to meet the demands of Germany’s evolving healthcare landscape.