The German 'traffic light' coalition government's plans to attract foreign skilled workers to Germany with a tax rebate have not gone down well so far.
Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) told German media outlet Deutschlandfunk that he was "not terribly happy" with the coalition leaders' plans.
"We need to take a closer look at this," he said about the idea, which is part of a so-called 'growth package' aimed at boosting the German economy.
Under the German government's budget plans, the rebate would be set at 30 percent of gross salary during a worker's first year, then 20 percent during their second year and 10 percent for their third year.
It had been inspired by Economics Minister Robert Habeck's recent visits to speak with business leaders, in which he had heard how tax incentives in Scandinavian countries were encouraging a new generation of skilled workers to move to those countries.
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The proposals could fill as "massive skills gap", Habeck said, adding that it would be "worth a try".
"We see that other European countries grant such tax concessions for skilled workers when they come to the country," he explained.
"It's worth trying to attract people to Germany in this way. And in the end, it's also good for the companies."
However, many politicians have so far been critical.
Thuringia's interior minister Georg Maier (SPD) told the Tagesspiegel newspaper that he was "very sceptical" about the plans to give foreign skilled workers better tax treatment. "This could lead to new debates about fairness, especially in the east," warned Maier.
Economic policy spokeswoman for the CDU parliamentary group, Julia Klöckner, told German newspaper Die Welt that the plan amounted to "discrimination against nationals", while CSU Bavarian parliamentary leader Klaus Holetschek described it as a "threat to social peace".
CDU budget minister Mathias Middelberg also had sharp criticism for the proposals.
Instead of focussing on tax incentives for one group of immigrants, working in Germany should generally become more attractive again with a bigger gap between salaries and social welfare, Middelberg said.
'Unconstitutional'
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, a new migrant-sceptic party set up by Linke defector Sahra Wagenknecht, also came out against the proposals.
"While German employees with average incomes suffer from far above-average taxes and duties, the German government wants to give foreign skilled workers the privelege of massive tax breaks," said Wagenknecht.
The BSW chairwoman also suggested that plan could be unconstitutional as it may not be compatible with the principle of equality enshrined in Article 3 of Germany's Basic Law. She called on the government to put people "already in the country" back to work.
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In a series of vox-pops carried out by German newspaper Bild, several Germans argued that the move could stoke social tensions and potentially fuel the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
André Krause, an insurance salesman from Flensburg said the plans could potentially lure more skilled workers into Germany. "But it's unfair for everyone else and also fuels dissatisfaction in society," he added.
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