Migrantische Arbeitskräfte in der formellen Altenpflege in Deutschland und Schweden

Long-term care for the elderly in Germany and Sweden has been facing major challenges for a number of years. Demographic ageing has intensified the need for care and not only since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic have there been complaints about precarious working conditions. Against this backdrop, both countries report increasing numbers of skilled and unskilled migrant care workers filling labour shortages and vacant training positions. But what is the relevance of migrant workers in both countries for care provision and how is this perceived by different societal actors? In this article, the authors report on initial empirical findings from qualitative expert interviews with national and local stakeholders in Germany and Sweden. In both countries, the labour market integration of migrants is formulated as an important response to labour shortages, but there are different country-specific strategies: the integration of migrants already living in the country into low-skilled positions in Sweden and the immigration of highly skilled migrants in Germany to fill positions in the sector for care of the elderly.