Since 2022 Germany has seen fifty- to sixty thousand Indian nationals arrive each year, many drawn by the promise of tech careers and world-class opportunities for higher education.
But moving to and integrating in Germany is no easy task, and landing a good job - especially as a new arrival - can be exceptionally difficult.
So instead of finding an easy path toward Germany's middle class, many foreign students and skilled workers instead find themselves stepping into precarious life and work situations marked by underpaid jobs, scarce housing and little-to-no time for language learning or other efforts to integrate.
Aju John, a PhD scholar with the Berlin Institute for Migration and the Institute for European Ethnology at Humboldt University, recently explained how Indian students and young workers are being exploited.
In that conversation, the publication asked John what advice he would give a friend or family member who was thinking about taking the leap and moving to Germany.
John began his reply with a blunt reality check.
"I would advise them firstly to think very carefully about whether they want to come to Germany, because it's extremely difficult to break into the job market right now. Especially without German language skills," he said.
John's advice for people thinking of moving to Germany:
1) Learn German before you move
To anyone with their heart set on moving to Germany for work, John's advice is clear: "Prepare yourself with at least six months to a year's worth of German lessons before coming here."
For dedicated students this is often enough time to achieve B1 or B2 level skills, which are commonly required for many jobs (often even for 'English speaking' roles).
Many people come to Germany with the intention of learning the language after they have settled in, alongside their studies or work. But John cautions that this rarely works out.
"After you come here, the cost of living will overwhelm you to such an extent that you will not have time for German classes," he says. "You will need to be working six to eight hours every every day just to survive, which will leave you with very little time for German classes."
On a related note, it's important to have a clear understanding of how much money it takes to move to Germany.
John estimates the cost of moving on a student visa or Opportunity Card to be around €20,000 – with €12,000 of that going straight to a ‘blocked account’, and the rest eaten up by moving, housing and other living costs.
2) Be cautious of 'sham' private universities
For people coming to Germany for education, be careful about the university you enrol with.
There are a wide range of accredited higher education institutions to choose from in the Bundesrepublik, including both public and private options. But in recent years a surge in incoming foreign students has coincided with a boom in private universities, some of which John describes as "shams".
For example, Berlin students at the International University of Applied Sciences (IU) were given orders to leave the country last year after the university's accreditation was pulled by the immigration authorities. In this case, it was determined that IU's degree programs did not meet the requirements for a student visa in Berlin.
"Be very, very watchful about which university you are picking," John advises. "There are enough opportunities here to learn in the public education system that you don't need to come through the private university route... There are even courses available in English."
3) Avoid subcontracted gig work
"I would always advise against subcontracted food delivery work, or subcontracted work in the logistics sector," John said.
As the publication previously reported, subcontracted workers are notoriously vulnerable to exploitation. These positions often lack many of the workers' protections - like minimum wage and social benefits - that regularly contracted workers get as standard.
In some cases, subcontractors are pushed into 'pay-to-work' schemes, where they are charged up front for access to the apps or equipment they need to work, or see their pay regularly docked by unscrupulous bosses.
"It's completely illegal," says John, who described subcontracted delivery and logistics work as the "wild west", in the sense that virtually none of Germany's labour protections are enforced.
He added that working in a role which may not be properly reported can put immigrants at considerable risk, especially those on temporary residence permits. When the time comes to renew or change a residence permit, for example, it could be important to show you are earning enough to support yourself, and that your income is taxed and known to the state.
For anyone living in Berlin and struggling with exploitative work - or housing or residence permit issues - John co-organises the "Migrant Worker and Student Canteen", an organisation which offers free or low-cost meals as well as advice on immigration and related work issues.
You can find more information via the Gerechtearbeit Instagram page.
