Germany has pledged to examine visa-related difficulties faced by Uzbekistani specialists and consider measures to address them, according to Uzbekistan’s Dunyo news agency.
The commitment was announced during a meeting at the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry focused on organized and safe recruitment of workers from Uzbekistan for the German labor market.
The event was chaired by Dr. Jürgen Ratzinger, the chamber’s managing director for international business, and brought together representatives of German institutions and executives from WISAG, one of Germany’s largest service companies. Uzbekistan’s delegation included Gulnara Salimova, honorary representative of Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency in Germany, and Vice Consul Bekzod Abdullayev.
During the talks, Uzbek officials outlined efforts to prepare workers for employment in Germany. These measures include vocational training programs tailored to the needs of the German labor market, language instruction, and initiatives designed to support legal and organized labor migration.
Participants also discussed challenges faced by Uzbekistani specialists during the visa application process. According to Dunyo, German representatives acknowledged that visa processing for qualified Uzbekistani workers often takes considerable time and said they would study systemic issues and consider possible solutions.
The discussions come as Germany continues to face labor shortages in several sectors and seeks qualified foreign workers. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, has increased efforts to create legal pathways for employment abroad through government-supported migration programs.
The meeting also follows a recent investigation by German authorities into an alleged visa fraud and migrant smuggling network involving citizens of Uzbekistan. Earlier this month, Germany’s Federal Police carried out searches at seven locations in the states of Hesse and Lower Saxony as part of an investigation led by prosecutors in Bavaria.
The case concerns suspected commercial smuggling of foreign nationals, unauthorized residence, visa fraud, and document forgery. The investigation began after federal police inspected a citizen of Uzbekistan traveling on a long-distance bus shortly after he entered Germany through a Bavarian border crossing.
Officials at the Frankfurt meeting highlighted the importance of ensuring that labor migration takes place through transparent, legal, and secure channels while improving opportunities for qualified professionals from Uzbekistan seeking work in Germany.
