Filipino nurses in Germany struggle with the language

 

Nikka Valenzuela

April 25, 2024

Filipino nurses are in high demand in Germany, but struggles learning German make it harder for them to feel at home.

Filipino nurse Elaine Custodio has been working at the Urology department of University Hospital Bonn for 6 years nowImage: Nikka Valenzuela/DW

Elaine Custodio arrived in the midsized city of Bonn in Germany's west in March 2018. She had six years of nursing experience and a B1 intermediate German language certificate in her backpack.

Before leaving her native Philippines to take up a nursing job at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), Custodio studied German full time to obtain the language proficiency required to work at the hospital.

Despite her certificate, she still struggled to speak and understand German, which proved to be a hurdle in the workplace.

German is one of the 10 most difficult languages to learn in the world, according to UNESCO. 

German is 'really hard'

The system for measuring language skill level starts at A1 for beginners, progressing to A2 for advanced beginners. B1 is intermediate, B2 is advanced intermediate. Learners at the C1 level are advanced and the C2 level is when someone speaks almost perfect German.  

"When I moved here, I felt safe on the streets, but I was scared of answering the phone at work," said Custodio, who hails from Quezon City in the Philippines. "The language was hard, really hard. During every shift, I would write down words I did not know and learn the meaning at home."

Custodio was among the third batch of nurses who arrived in Bonn when the UKB began recruiting qualified medical workers from the Philippines to offset Germany's labor shortage.

The hospital now employs some 740 foreign nurses, 300 of whom are from the Philippines. Like Custodio, many of these Filipino nurses at UKB struggle with speaking and understanding German.

Joel Licay, who also works as a nurse at UKB, said that he felt depressed two months into working in Germany because of the language barrier.

"Some patients told me that I'm stupid because I didn't know the language. Every day I was crying," he said, adding that he felt frustrated not being able to communicate with colleagues as well as patients and their loved ones.

Licay said when he first started working on one of the UKB wards five years ago, he needed to be accompanied by an advanced German speaker in order to effectively communicate with patients.

Even today he says he usually spends time honing his German skills when he comes home from work. His efforts have paid off and he is now on track for the C1 level.

Culture shock in Germany

The challenge of communicating in German is a "worldwide barrier," according to Maria Hesterberg, who heads recruitment for UKB, because it is not the easiest language to learn.

She and her colleagues noticed that their foreign nurses tended to struggle with the language.

And the language requirement to work as a nurse in Germany has been raised from B1 to B2, adding to the difficulties faced by them.

Many nurses in the Philippines who had been eyeing a career in Germany ended up dropping out of their beginners' courses, said Steffen Zoller, founder of CWC (Care With Care) Recruitment. 

Cultural differences can add to the language barrier. Many foreigners perceive Germans as being forthright in their communication, whereas people from other countries may not say things as directly.

"Germans communicate directly. We are very open, and it is not something that Filipinos are used to. We learned that in the beginning, it is very unusual in the Philippines to answer a question with 'no'," Hesterberg said.

She added that they had to discuss this in information events, explaining that saying 'no' is nothing personal. They have also encouraged nurses to ask questions proactively, no matter who they are communicating with.

Smoothing the path to Germany

Zoller added that CWC Recruitment — which has deployed around 700 Filipino nurses around Germany — also has an integration team to help prepare incoming health care workers for their big move to the country.

The Philippines is an important source of skilled workers for Germany, and remittances from Filipinos living abroad are a crucial source of income for their families back home.

Zoller said that an increasing number of Filipino nurses have expressed an interest in migrating to Germany since it opened more routes for skilled workers to migrate.

Since 2017, UKB has recruited more foreign nurses. They don't just come from the Philippines but also from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico and Argentina. The company has around 1,000 more nursing positions to fill by 2027.

Zoller said that, despite the language issues, Germany is often seen as a permanent destination for Filipino nurses who want to migrate, unlike in other countries.

"I see myself getting old here," said nurse Licay. As for his nursing colleague Custodio, she still isn't sure.

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Hundreds of millions of people across South and Southeast Asia are facing soaring temperatures and drought as a heatwave grips the region. Dozens have been killed by heatstroke in Thailand alone. Authorities in the capital Bangkok are warning their citizens of the 'extremely dangerous' conditions. Schools have been closed in the Philippines and Bangladesh for tens of millions of children and the daytime temperature in Myanmar has reached nearly 46 degrees Celsius. The UN has warned that deaths due to heatstroke were widely underreported, calling heat a 'silent killer'

Germany eyes Filipino nurses to ease labor shortage

Nikka Valenzuela, DW (Deutsche Welle)

Germany is looking to the Philippines to fill its growing health care worker shortage, with plans to recruit more Filipino nurses. Will Germany follow the UK in bringing more Filipino nurses into its health care system?

An expanded and more concrete migration and mobility partnership between the Philippines and Germany was one of the main talking points between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when the two leaders met in Berlin on Tuesday.

"The Philippines has a treasure of well-skilled workers," Scholz said in a joint press conference. "This is also relevant for our health sector."

Scholz said labor cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation is an important area for Germany, adding that he wants to make progress here in "a very concrete fashion."

The German chancellor said a "very comprehensive further development" of cooperation in the skilled sector was planned.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in BerlinGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Berlin

"We also plan to put this into concrete texts that we can agree on," he added.

Marcos recognized the growing workforce of Filipino health care workers in Germany, adding that the two countries were finalizing talks on deploying more Filipino skilled workers beyond the health sector.

The Philippines is an important source of skilled workers for Germany, and remittances from Filipinos living abroad is a crucial source of economic boost in the Philippines.

The Philippines' central bank reported that in 2023, over €573,000 of remittances came from Germany alone.

There are currently around 6,000 Filipino nurses working in Germany — roughly 2,000 of whom migrated through a government-to-government program that prepares and deploys Filipino nurses to German health care facilities.

Between 2030 and 2040, the shortage is expected to be a bigger issue as Germany's aging population needs increased care, according to Wido Geis-Thöne, senior economist at the German Economic Institute.

While Germany is also tapping other countries to fill in the labor shortage across different industries, Geis-Thöne said immigrants from the Philippines are mostly from the crucial health sector.

How does the medical 'brain drain' affect the Philippines?

The Philippines is the world's top supplier of nurses, with a talent pool of 620,000 licensed health care workers who are active in the workforce, some 51% of whom work abroad, according to the Philippine Health Ministry.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in a previous visit to the Philippines, maintained that the bilateral cooperation would not lead to the loss of talent in the country. 

Despite the sizable number of health care workers in the Philippines, the country struggles with understaffing, which, in 2022, was pegged at 106,000 vacancies for nurses across public and private facilities and hospitals, according to figures from the Health Ministry.

The ministry said there should be one nurse for every 12 patients, but the health care workers' groups said this is far from the reality on the ground.

In many cases, there is only one nurse for every 20 — or sometimes even 40 — patients.

Why are so many Filipino nurses moving abroad?

Germany is just one of the many countries seeking qualified medical workers from abroad to offset its labor shortage.

The National Health Service in the  United Kingdom employs around 40,000 Filipino nurses. Thousands more have migrated to the United States, Australia, Canada and other countries where health care workers receive better wages and working conditions than in the Philippines.

Eleanor Nolasco, president of Filipino Nurses United, said nurses working in national hospitals and agencies in the Philippines earn only 36,000 Philippine pesos (€595/$650) — a fraction of the monthly salary offered abroad.

The pay in the private sector is even lower, Nolasco pointed out, as many nurses receive the minimum wage of around 15,000 pesos.

Nurses also complain of being overworked, clocking in longer hours and tending to unsafe numbers of patients at a time, Alliance of Health Workers president Robert Mendoza told DW

Both groups said low wages as well as a lack of job security and career advancement remain the main reasons why the demoralized workforce chooses to leave home.

Who can travel to Germany now that COVID restrictions are being tightened again?

• Author Felix Schlagwein, DW

Coronavirus infections are surging in Germany. What does this mean for tourists? Here are the answers to some of the most pressing questions.

The fourth coronavirus wave is currently resulting in record infections in many European countries — including Germany. In some places, the situation is so dramatic that public events and fairs have been canceled and contact restrictions introduced.

Tourist travel has also been banned in parts of Germany. On Tuesday, the US once more issued a warning against visiting Germany, although vaccinated tourists can still enter. What do these developments mean for anyone wishing to enter Germany? What quarantine rules apply? And what do German holidaymakers need to bear in mind when returning home? Here are answers to some of the most important questions.

Who can enter Germany?

Despite soaring infections, conditions for entering Germany are in some cases more relaxed than they were a year ago. Nevertheless, all arrivals from the age of 12 must present proof of vaccination, recovery, or an approved negative COVID-19 test, regardless of where they are coming from and by what means of transport. This requirement will remain in force until January 15, 2022. Entry is possible from all EU countries as well as the Schengen-associated states of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Before traveling to Germany, make sure to get an overview of the latest developments and rules. Travelers can find detailed information on the websites of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior and the Foreign Office.

Are people from third countries allowed to travel to Germany?

Entry from third countries is possible again, albeit only under certain conditions. Residents from a list of "safe" third countries, which includes Australia and Canada, may enter Germany for any purpose, subject to the above-mentioned documentation requirement. Travelers from other third countries, including the US, must either be fully vaccinated or put forward pressing grounds for their trip. 

Only vaccines approved by Germany's Paul Ehrlich Institute are recognized, which currently comprises vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Licensed foreign versions of these vaccines are recognized as equivalent. A person is considered fully vaccinated if 14 days have passed since the second shot. For those who have recovered from a coronavirus infection, a single dose is sufficient. Also, only one vaccination is required for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Who needs to quarantine?

All arrivals failing to present proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative COVID-19 test must self-isolate. Likewise, arrivals from high-risk and virus variant countries must quarantine in Germany.

Travelers from high-risk countries must spend ten days in self-isolation, whereas those from virus variant countries must self-isolate for two weeks.

Individuals from high-risk countries may cease self-isolating if they can present a negative test result on day five. This option is not available for people from virus variant destinations.

Germany's disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, currently classifies a spate of EU member states high-risk countries, among them Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Austria and Croatia. Anyone wishing to travel to Germany from there must complete a digital passenger locator form. At the moment, Germany does not list any virus variant countries.

Before planning your journey, be sure to check whether Germany deems your country a high-risk and virus variant destination.

Do I need to take a coronavirus test before arriving?

Not necessarily. Provided travelers can prove they are fully vaccinated, or have recovered from a coronavirus infection, no test is needed. Some airlines and train operators, however, ask passengers to take an additional COVID-19 test.

In Germany, PCR tests are accepted only if taken within the past 72 hours, rapid tests may be no older than 48 hours.

I'm a German tourist and contracted the coronavirus on holiday. May I return to Germany?

The Ministry of Health urges anyone who has fallen ill with COVID-19 to quarantine abroad, instead of returning home and potentially infecting others. Even so, authorities may not refuse entry to Germany. If you do make your way back, be sure to self-isolate the moment to step foot on German soil.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is barred from air travel. Likewise, infected individuals from high-risk or virus variant destinations are also banned from traveling to Germany.

I want to travel to Germany with my children. Which rules apply?

The rules set out above apply to children aged 12 and above. Those below this age are exempt from proving they are vaccinated, have recovered, or tested negative. Moreover, they are required to quarantine only for five days when returning from a high-risk country.

I have a stopover at a German airport. Which rules apply to me?

Persons changing flights at a German airport without entering the country can disregard Germany's travel rules. The same applies to persons who are transiting through Germany without stopping. In this case, travelers are not required to go into quarantine, nor complete a passenger locator form. It is advisable, however, to become acquainted with the entry rules of your final destination. If en route to another EU country, be sure to consult Re-open EU, a platform with detailed information on travel rules and coronavirus rules in all EU member states.

May I travel freely inside Germany after my arrival?

In principle, yes. But as all 16 of Germany's federal states have the power to pass individual coronavirus regulations, you should carefully check where you are planning to go. Saxony, which has recorded a dramatic spike in coronavirus cases, has severely restricted public life to contain the outbreak. Tourists are temporarily banned from visiting the state. Business travelers, meanwhile, are still welcome. Bavaria has instituted similarly strict rules.

May tourists visit cinemas, museums and restaurants in Germany?

Rules can vary from state to state, and sometimes even by region. Many federal states such as Berlin, Hamburg, Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia have instituted the so-called "2G" ("geimpft oder genesen" — vaccinated or recovered) rule for many venues and public events. It means only persons who can prove they are vaccinated or have recovered may enter restaurants, museums and attend certain events. Unvaccinated guests will find it challenging to go about touristic activities.

Germany's epidemiological situation is in flux. States and regions may adapt or even intensify measures aimed at curbing the recent infection surge. Some have even called for the "2G" rule to be rolled out nationwide.

In any case, tourists are well-advised to research the latest rules applicable in the parts of Germany they wish to visit.

What must I do if I contract the coronavirus during my stay in Germany?

Go into quarantine as fast as possible and inform the health authority in question. To find out which agency to contact, consult this website. If you are having severe COVID-19 symptoms, call a doctor or ring the following number: 116 117. In an emergency, dial 112 or go to your nearest hospital.

Ex-Wirecard-Vorstand Marsalek will sich nicht stellen

Wegen des Bilanzskandals beim Finanzdienstleister Wirecard werden die bisherigen Chefs juristisch verfolgt. Jan Marsalek ist Medienberichten zufolge im Ausland untergetaucht. Die Aktie indes hebt ab.

Der langjährige Vorstand der Wirecard AG, Jan Marsalek, wird sich offenbar nicht von deutschen Staatsanwälten vernehmen lassen. Das erfuhren die Sender WDR und NDR sowie die "Süddeutsche Zeitung" aus Kreisen der Prozessbeteiligten. Marsalek hatte über seinen Anwalt in der vergangenen Woche zunächst erklären lassen, er werde nach München kommen, um bei der Justiz vorstellig zu werden. Dies solle nun doch nicht stattfinden. Weder die Staatsanwaltschaft München noch sein Verteidiger wollten sich demnach auf Anfrage äußern.

Die Staatsanwaltschaft hatte in der vergangenen Woche einen Haftbefehl gegen den 40-jährigen Österreicher erwirkt. Marsalek werden verschiedene mögliche Delikte im Zusammenhang mit dem Bilanzskandal des Unternehmens vorgeworfen.

1,9 Milliarden Euro verschwunden

Der Zahlungsdienstleister Wirecard hatte am Montag vergangener Woche mitgeteilt, dass ein Vermögen in Höhe von 1,9 Milliarden in Euro auf Konten des Unternehmens bei zwei philippinischen Banken Asien gar nicht existiere. Die philippinische Zentralbank erklärte, dass kein Geld von Wirecard in das Finanzsystem des Landes gelangt sei. Der Börsenkurs des DAX-Unternehmens stürzte ab. Am Donnerstag beantragte die Wirecard AG, die zu den Dax-Konzernen gehörte, ein Insolvenzverfahren.

Jan Marsalek (Wirecard/Leopold Fiala)
Ex-Vorstand Marsalek: Nach China geflüchtet?

Marsalek hatte ein Jahrzehnt lang im Vorstand das operative Geschäft geleitet. Dabei entstand ein weltweit verzweigtes Konstrukt aus Tochter- und Partnerfirmen. Viele Umsätze und Gewinne, die in diesem Netzwerk angefallen sein sollen, hat es offenbar nie gegeben.

Wo ist Marsalek?

Marsalek soll sich zuletzt auf den Philippinen aufgehalten haben, anschließend verlor sich seine Spur. Der per Haftbefehl gesuchte Österreicher hält sich möglicherweise in China auf. Der philippinische Justizminister Menardo Guevarra teilte mit, Marsalek sei vergangene Woche auf die Philippinen eingereist und habe das Land kurz darauf Richtung China wieder verlassen. Sein langjähriger Förderer, der Wirecard-Vorstandschef Markus Braun, hatte sich am Montag vergangener Woche der Justiz gestellt.

Philippinische Behörde untersucht drei Firmen

Derweil kündigte die philippinische Anti-Geldwäsche-Behörde AMLC an, im Fall Wirecard möglichst rasch für Aufklärung sorgen zu wollen. Man werde eine "schnelle und gründliche" Untersuchung starten, um weitere involvierte Gesellschaften und Personen zu finden, sagte Mel Georgie Racela vom AMLC der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Genau ansehen werde sich die Behörde vor allem drei Unternehmen, die im Zusammenhang mit dem deutschen Zahlungsabwickler stünden: Centurion Online Payment International, Pay Easy Solutions und Cone Pay International.

Von den Firmen war zunächst keine Stellungnahme zu erhalten. Pay Easy antwortete nicht auf E-Mails, Telefone waren abgeschaltet. Die Telefonnummer von Centurion war außer Betrieb. Auch Cone Pay war für einen Kommentar nicht erreichbar, da Kontaktdaten auf der Internetseite fehlten und ein sonst in der Branche üblicher Jahresbericht bei der Regulierungsbehörde nicht verfügbar war. Der philippinische Zentralbankchef Benjamin Diokno, der der Geldwäschebehörde vorsteht, wollte sich nicht dazu äußern, welche Firmen und Personen noch untersucht würden.

Der von Wirecard offenbar als Treuhänder eingesetzte philippinische Anwalt Mark Tolentino wies eine Verantwortung für die Pleite von Wirecard von sich. Er habe sechs Bankkonten für eine in Singapur ansässige Firma eröffnet, aber bis zum Bekanntwerden des Skandals nicht gewusst, dass sie für Wirecard waren, sagte er der Agentur Reuters. Auf den Konten sei nie mehr als ein paar Hundert Euro gewesen. "Jeder zeigt mit dem Finger auf mich, und stellt mich als Dieb des fehlenden Geldes dar", sagte er. "Ich möchte meinen Namen reinwaschen. Ich bin ein Opfer von Identitätsdiebstahl und gefälschten Nachrichten."

Erneute Kurskapriolen bei Wirecard

Trotz der jüngsten Turbulenzen stach das angeschlagene Unternehmen am Montag am deutschen Aktienmarkt mit einem Plus von zeitweise rund mehr als 200 Prozent heraus, allerdings bei einem niedrigen Ausgangspreis. Das ist der größte Kurssprung eines Dax-Wertes überhaupt. Die Papiere seien ein Spielball spekulativ orientierter Anleger, sagte ein Händler. Die "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" berichtet, Finanzinvestoren und der Konkurrent Worldline seien an Teilen des insolventen Zahlungsabwicklers interessiert. Worldline-Aktien legten an der Börse in Paris um 1,5 Prozent zu.

kle/AR (afp, tagesschau.de, rtr)

Philippines: Church warns against 'holy alcohol' for COVID-19

Churchgoers in the Philippines have been urged not to fall for products advertised as being "holy" to protect themselves from COVID-19. Besides alcohol, church leaders said there's "no such thing" as a holy face mask.   

The Catholic Church in the Philippines warned against buying "holy alcohol" and other products claiming to protect against the coronavirus.

"There is no sacramental holy alcohol that we should make the sign of the cross with when we rub it to ourselves," the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said in a statement on Monday. "Moreover, it should not be sprinkled on the faithful."

They likewise warned that there is "no such things" as holy face masks, holy face shields, holy hand sanitizer and holy personal protective equipment.

"This is an irreverent marketing strategy or gimmick," the statement added.

They issued the warning after an archdiocese outside of the capital Manila flagged "fake news" reports about the church replacing holy water with "holy alcohol," news agency DPA reported.

The CBCP said that many churches emptied their holy water fonts in recent months to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but that the holy water had not been replaced with rubbing alcohol.

Churches across the predominantly Catholic country were closed for months due to the COVID-19 lockdown, although some restrictions have eased starting in June. 

Some Catholic churches reopened to worshippers over the weekend, although the number of people allowed to attend mass is limited.

In Manila where the number of COVID-19 cases is higher, only 10 people are allowed to attend a mass at a time. In other areas of the country, churches are allowed to have up to 50% of their seating capacity, DPA reported.

The country has logged 22,474 COVID-19 cases so far as well as 1,011 deaths.

(C) by DW 2020