Overview
- Medical associations in Saxony-Anhalt said international physicians are essential for coverage and urged welcoming policies, noting that 18.55% of doctors in the state are foreign nationals.
- The AfD’s election platform opposes recruiting what it calls culturally foreign workers and claims weak German skills and non‑equivalent training endanger patients.
- Hospital managers report many facilities would not function without foreign doctors, with more than 50,000 non‑German physicians now working in Germany.
- Experts say Germany still has about 6,000 unfilled hospital posts because the system keeps many small sites, part‑time work means roughly 1.2 hires per position, and paperwork and retirements cut clinical hours.
- The hospital overhaul passed in 2024 was eased in April 2026 and will not be fully in place before 2030, so smaller clinics expect to keep recruiting abroad and are pressing for faster recognition and better integration.