When we talk about the migration of qualified specialists, we quickly think of personal stories: People packing their bags, moving to a new country, learning a foreign language. These individual journeys are real - and moving. But there are much larger structures behind them. State programs, authorities, bilateral agreements and national strategies often guide and accompany this migration much more than one might think at first glance.
In recent years, many Asian countries have set up their own highly structured systems to make the posting of qualified workers - particularly in the healthcare sector - safer, fairer and more professional. Emigration should no longer be a risk, but a controlled process. Governments check contracts, certify employers, organize language courses, monitor recruitment agencies and intervene if their citizens are disadvantaged abroad.
Germany is playing an increasingly central role in this. It is not only one of the most important destination countries for nurses and doctors from Asia, but also a preferred cooperation partner for many countries of origin. What used to be often spontaneous individual decisions is now increasingly accompanied, planned and secured by the state.
A look at these programs shows how differently - and at the same time surprisingly similarly - countries in South and Southeast Asia prepare their citizens for the journey to Germany.
Hardly any other country organizes labour migration as professionally as the Philippines. For decades, sending qualified workers - especially in the care sector - has been an integral part of the national economic strategy. Migration is not a product of chance here, but a state task.
Over ten million Filipinos work abroad, around ten percent of the population. The remittances flow into education, infrastructure and social security systems to the tune of billions. This model of so-called Overseas Filipino Workers has had a profound impact on the country - economically, socially and politically.
The central institution since 2022 has been the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). It bundles competencies that were previously spread across several authorities, including the former POEA and OWWA. The DMW oversees the entire process: from the licensing of recruitment agencies to contract review and support in the destination country.
Anyone wishing to work as a nurse in Germany can only do so via state-accredited agencies. Every position is checked and every agency is regularly inspected. Within the DMW, the Government Placement Branch direct cooperation with foreign governments. There is a separate category for Germany: „Germany - Registered Nurses“.
The selection is followed by standardized preparation steps:
Structured German courses up to B2
Medical examinations
Cultural orientation
Mandatory pre-departure seminars
A central principle here is the No-Placement-Fee-Policy: Caregivers may not pay any placement fees. Violations lead to the withdrawal of the license.
This system works - and is regarded internationally as a role model. German clinics value the professional training, language skills and reliability of Filipino nursing staff. At the same time, the state ensures that migration does not become a permanent loss. Increasingly, the focus is on circular models: working abroad, returning with experience, transferring knowledge to the domestic healthcare system.
Migration is not understood here as emigration, but as an investment.
India is not a homogeneous state, but a continent in the form of a country. This diversity is also reflected in the organization of labour migration. Where individual agencies and federal states used to act independently, today an increasingly digitalized, state-supervised system is emerging.
The central role is played by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Under its umbrella, the Protector General of Emigrants (PGE), which controls all work-related departures. At the heart of the system is the digital platform eMigrate. Employers, agents and applicants must register here. Contracts are checked, fees monitored, processes documented.
At the same time, individual states are developing their own programs. Particularly active is Kerala, which is linked to the state organization ODEPC manages the entire placement process itself - from selection to language training to placement. Similar models exist in Tamil Nadu with the OMCL.
Another milestone is NSDC International, a subsidiary of the National Skill Development Corporation. The aim is to make Indian vocational qualifications internationally compatible. Nursing training courses are being adapted, language modules integrated and examination formats standardized - explicitly with Germany in mind.
India increasingly sees migration as a strategic instrument: export skills, import experience. Return programs and „reverse migration“ approaches are intended to bring knowledge back into the country in the long term.
Migration here is no longer a loss of control, but controlled mobility.
Pakistan is at the beginning of a similar transformation process. For decades, labour migration was mainly organized privately, often informally. Today, state structures are emerging to create order and protection.
Key players are the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) and the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BEOE). While the BEOE acts as a supervisory and licensing authority, the OEC is responsible for operational mediation - increasingly also in Europe.
Job vacancies for nursing staff in Germany appear on the OEC platform for the first time. Applicants undergo tests, language preparation and document checks. No departure takes place without official approval from the Protectorate of Emigrants.
The political view of migration has changed significantly. It is no longer just seen as an outlet for unemployment, but as a resource. Particularly in the care sector, skilled workers should gain experience abroad and later contribute to strengthening the domestic system.
The system is still being developed. But the direction is clear: away from informal emigration and towards controlled, fair migration of skilled workers.
Indonesia is one of the most experienced expatriate countries in Southeast Asia. Millions of Indonesians work abroad. What makes the country special is the consistent government support.
The central institution is BP2MI, the authority for the protection of Indonesian migrant workers. Registration is mandatory, processes are digitalized and selection programmes are transparent. Germany has been an official destination country in state-organized care programmes for several years.
Before leaving the country, nursing staff complete
German courses (at least B1)
Professional preparation
intercultural training
Practical simulations of everyday clinical practice
The state remains present even after arrival. Contracts are monitored, contact points are active, problems are addressed. Migration does not end with the flight.
Indonesia pursues a dual strategy: creating employment - and guaranteeing protection. This balance makes the model internationally recognized.
Vietnam has built up a remarkably structured system in a short space of time. Responsible are DOLAB and COLAB, who coordinate all programs. Application procedures are centralized, selection is transparent and preparation is intensive.
The ethical claim is particularly striking: no agency fees, state-controlled programs, close support also in the target country. Preparation phases last up to twelve months, including language training, specialist modules and legal orientation.
Migration is understood here as a partnership - between the country of origin, the destination country and the skilled worker. Return is explicitly considered, knowledge transfer is desired.
Vietnam shows that state control can be a quality feature rather than an obstacle.
As different as these countries are, they are united by certain principles:
Protection and fairness through state supervision
Qualification and preparation as a prerequisite for migration
Transparency through digital systems
Partnership with Germany instead of uncontrolled migration
Migration is increasingly understood as a process that can be shaped - not as a coincidence, not as a market game.
Today, Germany is at the center of this new architecture. Not because it „poaches“ skilled workers, but because it offers reliable structures: Recognition procedures, fair working conditions, long-term prospects.
For countries of origin, this means planning security. For nursing staff, it means protection. And for Germany, it means qualified, prepared specialists.
In this environment, specialized companies such as TalentOrbit International GmbH a mediating function. They combine state programs in the countries of origin with the requirements of the German healthcare system - in a transparent, compliant and structured manner.
Accompaniment means here: Language preparation, recognition, visas, integration. Not as an individual solution, but embedded in existing systems.
Skilled labor migration is not a loss of control. It is a bridge - built from language, education and trust. People walk on it, supported by programs, agreements and responsibility.
Germany is ready to use this bridge. And to continue building it together with partner countries.