Seven EU countries, including Germany and Ireland, face critical shortages of healthcare workers and are easing visa procedures to attract foreign doctors, nurses, and specialists to address the deficits.
A recent report by the European Commission has highlighted critical shortages of healthcare professionals across several European Union (EU) countries, prompting them to ease work visa procedures to attract foreign medical workers. The affected nations, including Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark, are in dire need of specialists such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and dentists.
These countries have identified significant gaps in various healthcare roles, with Ireland and Switzerland standing out as having the highest reliance on foreign doctors and nurses, according to the report. The aging population in many EU nations has exacerbated the challenge, increasing the dependence on international healthcare professionals.
Germany, in particular, has witnessed a significant influx of foreign medical practitioners, with 12% of doctors practicing in the country being foreigners as of 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). However, Germany still faces a pressing shortage of nurses, anticipating a need for an additional 150,000 nurses by 2025.
To mitigate these shortfalls, several EU countries have recently relaxed their immigration laws, enhancing the prospects for foreign workers seeking employment and work visas in these nations. Germany, for instance, is actively seeking nursing professionals from abroad, including regions like Latin America.
The trend suggests opportunities for foreign healthcare professionals looking to secure employment and work visas in these sectors, as the demand for their expertise continues to rise across the European Union.
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