Germany denies reports on labour deal to welcome 250,000 Kenyans

This is after a BBC report saying that the deal will offer employment opportunities for thousands of Kenyans.

Rebutting the report, Germany's Interior Ministry clarified that the deal signed with Kenya does not specify the number of workers set to travel and there will be a rigorous process of selecting all applicants.

"This information is clearly false. The agreement between Germany and Kenya does not include any numbers or quotas of skilled workers who will have the opportunity to work in Germany. All applicants must fulfill the strict requirements of the German Skilled Immigration Act," the Ministry said on X.

The report, at the time of this publication, had caused a roaring upheaval among residents in Germany who ridiculed the entry of migrant workers.

Kenya signed a deal with Germany on Friday to share labour, talent, and mobility. 

The agreement seeks to provide a framework for cooperation and information exchange on labour mobility, apprenticeships, student training, labour market needs, employment, employee welfare, and the readmission and return of workers.

President William Ruto has however emphasized that both Kenya and Germany have labour markets that can play a significant role in driving economic growth.

Speaking during a meeting with Kenyans residing in Germany on Saturday, Ruto highlighted Kenya’s willingness to share its labour workforce and human capital, while stressing that Kenya’s workforce will not be exploited.

“Kenya greatly appreciates the support that has been extended by the German Government. We are fully cognizant of the Labour demands for Germany and the available talented and qualified Kenyan Labour supply,” he said.

Germany's Interior Ministry says that they are in confidential discussions and negotiations with numerous states to forge migration partnerships with other countries.

They include Georgia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Morocco, Ghana and the Philippines.

"Migration partnerships are different for each country. They can be based on international agreements; in other cases, joint declarations (Memorandums of Understanding - MoUs) or the establishment of bilateral working structures make more sense for practical and trusting cooperation," says the Ministry.