CAPTION: Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at the German Employers' Day 2019. (picture alliance/dpa)
A high-level meeting between Germany's government, employers and trade unions will be held in December to discuss how a new law on the immigration of skilled workers can quickly take effect, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Tuesday.
The law is a "good thing" but now also has to function properly, she said at an economic conference in Berlin.
The chambers of commerce and the German Foreign Ministry should cooperate on the immigration of skilled workers, the chancellor said.
The chambers of commerce would be responsible for determining professional eligibility, while the ministry would handle visas. It will create a new department for this purpose.
The law on the immigration of skilled workers, which was approved by parliament in June, is due to come into effect on March 1, 2020.
Until now, a German visa can sometimes come with long waiting periods. The new law is meant to smooth the path to Germany for qualified workers from outside the European Union.
Trade associations in Germany have long complained about shortages of skilled workers in certain professions.
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