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Working for a delivery service is a tough job anywhere – and one done by thousands of foreign students in Germany.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Over one million young Indian people study in other countries,
00:10with almost 60,000 in Germany alone.
00:13Most of them here have to take on jobs to support themselves,
00:15with delivery drivers and riders one of the biggest groups.
00:19It's demanding work, and in the majority of cases,
00:21with no job security or benefits.
00:24Why is Germany such a popular option,
00:26and what's life like for Indian students here?
00:30Welcome to the new edition of Made,
00:32where we'll be taking a special look at people living and working abroad.
00:37Also coming up on the show,
00:40how dependent is Italy on recruiting more immigrants?
00:44In which areas are Spanish employers hungry for foreign workers?
00:49And why does Pakistan attract so few foreign investors?
01:00Sumit Kumar and Rishabh Agrawal are studying at a private college in Berlin,
01:09where classes are small and in English, but don't come cheap.
01:12Their families are financing their studies,
01:15in Sumit's case to the tune of 14,000 euros for a master's in computer science.
01:20Germany is the main country in terms of employment, in terms of money.
01:27This is the worldiest country.
01:28That is the main thing.
01:30And there are more jobs here.
01:32First reason, UK, US, these were pretty expensive.
01:35Also, the economy was declining.
01:37US, as we see today, that there are many political problems,
01:42with many Indians getting their visas rejected,
01:45and so many problems.
01:48The International University in Berlin has a large foreign intake,
01:52with almost 2,000 students from India alone,
01:55a niche market where Germany is becoming increasingly popular.
02:00We have over 200 degree programs in total,
02:04many of which are in English,
02:05which is, of course, attractive for international students.
02:09In particular, we offer great flexibility.
02:11You can study here however you like,
02:13whether online degrees or on campus or in the virtual campus.
02:19We try to set it up so that the courses adapt to the students' lives
02:22and not the other way around,
02:24which is highly attractive.
02:26And that gets around.
02:30Kashmir in northern India.
02:32Snober Khan is intent on studying biotechnology in Germany
02:36and is now learning the language on YouTube.
02:39The 23-year-old wants to move to Munich next year,
02:41with the whole family having saved up for her plans.
02:45My mom, my mother.
02:49I chose Germany because the universities there
02:52are known for science and research.
02:55The environment is safe.
02:57I like the culture and lifestyle there.
02:59I want to get to know the culture.
03:01I think Germany is better for me because it's more affordable.
03:05It costs less,
03:06and the connections between our countries are good.
03:10And Snober's assessment is borne out by the figures.
03:13At almost 13 percent,
03:14Indians already constitute the largest group of foreign students in Germany,
03:19followed by Chinese and Turkish students,
03:21with 10 percent and almost 5 percent respectively.
03:25At the Goethe Institute in Delhi,
03:27German language courses are fully booked.
03:32Traditionally, Indian students go to the UK,
03:36the US, and other English-speaking countries.
03:39Everything was trending in that direction.
03:42But recently, we've noticed that the policies in these countries
03:45have become a bit more restrictive.
03:47Visa regulations have become stricter,
03:50which has made post-study employment
03:52a bit more difficult in these countries.
03:53Germany has a policy that makes these things very well regulated.
03:59The granting of visas has become streamlined,
04:01and a large number of students receive a visa.
04:05German state universities are free of charge,
04:07which is obviously appealing.
04:09The education in Germany, as we all know,
04:12is state-sponsored and funded by the public.
04:16So that's what attracted me, firstly.
04:20And secondly, the living standards,
04:22European standards are pretty good.
04:25Moreover, it is a peaceful country, politically stable.
04:29Germany has also made it easier to enter.
04:32To obtain a residency permit,
04:34you have to prove that you can support yourself
04:36to the tune of €11,904 per year,
04:40or €992 per month.
04:42And you have to have health insurance.
04:45But studying in Germany also has its downsides.
04:49Most students have to work to get by.
04:51A conspicuously high proportion of delivery drivers come from India.
04:57And they're often self-employed without any legal protection.
05:00In Germany, many delivery drivers are not permanently employed
05:06and work as bogus self-employed persons.
05:10The other problem is that they're often employed by subcontractors
05:13who don't even work for the platform they're delivering for.
05:17In this system, there are no state control options.
05:20There are no works councils or trade unions,
05:23which are the immune system to protect people from exploitation in Germany.
05:28And that doesn't exist at all in this swamp.
05:33That's why the union has called for a demonstration.
05:36Sumit Kumar has also joined in.
05:39He has a contract with the delivery service Lieferando,
05:41one of the few companies in the sector to employ its drivers properly.
05:46But now Lieferando also wants to fire several thousand drivers
05:49and render them self-employed, leaving Sumit appalled.
05:53In Berlin, it is very hard to get any job as a student.
06:00If you don't know German, subcontracting is not a good idea.
06:03And even if you come from India or any country,
06:07and if you are living in Germany,
06:10and they are practicing this kind of thing, that is fun.
06:13In the fleet system, we have no job security.
06:16We have no sick leave.
06:19We have no paid sick leave.
06:20So we are against the fleet system.
06:23Many of the companies are working in the fleet system
06:25for many years, bought, overeats.
06:28Back in India, Snobur spends a lot of time
06:31with her sister and mother.
06:33At university in Germany,
06:35her everyday life could be very different.
06:37Nevertheless, Snobur would be prepared
06:39to accept the culture shock for a professional career.
06:43Leaving the comfort of home?
06:46Well, there will be language problems.
06:48How am I supposed to manage it all?
06:50I'll be alone.
06:51It's all difficult for me.
06:52But I have to accept it.
06:54Little by little, everything will be manageable.
06:57Snobur is prepared to leave home for this.
06:59The family has land and grows its own fruit and vegetables.
07:02Snobur believes that she can earn money for the whole family
07:05if she studies and works in Germany.
07:09Studying in Europe doesn't mean I have to give up everything.
07:12My relationships and my family will always be with me.
07:15I will never leave them.
07:17Yes, I want to work there,
07:19but I will return to my home country one day.
07:23Sumit in Berlin, on the other hand, wants to stay.
07:25Like his fellow students,
07:28he could imagine living and working in Europe in the long term.
07:31Then he also hopes to find a better job
07:34and no longer have to work as a delivery driver.
07:37In my opinion, I have to learn German also.
07:41And I have to be here for the next, at least five years.
07:45And then I will think, okay, it's really good or not.
07:48I am satisfied, I'm feeling good, I'm feeling like home.
07:52And as far as the country is concerned,
07:55yes, it is a bit difficult to manage expenses,
07:58your studies, finances, and the issues with houses and all.
08:06Expectations of Germany are high,
08:08but while there are obviously hurdles to overcome,
08:11these two men have come a long way.
08:18What's your dream destination to live and work in?
08:26Italy obviously has its attractions.
08:31The right-wing government there had promised to curb immigration,
08:34but has now instead decided to issue half a million work permits
08:38for people from outside the EU.
08:40The idea is to address an ageing population
08:43and tackle worker scarcity in sectors such as construction,
08:46agriculture, and healthcare.
08:49A game-changing move?
08:55As Italy ages and an unprecedented number of Italians
08:58leave the country in search of better opportunities,
09:01it is looking for people to sustain its economy.
09:05By next year, one in three businesses in Italy
09:08is set to hire workers from outside the EU.
09:11But there is a dire shortage in supply of workers
09:14needed in various sectors, like construction.
09:19Arben Mece, an employee at a local construction company in Rome,
09:23says his firm is in desperate need of workers.
09:26Young Italians, he says, are not interested in applying
09:29for the many vacant blue-collar job opportunities.
09:32We are currently working on three construction sites.
09:37There aren't enough workers to complete all projects.
09:41So, instead of curbing immigration as the Italian government promised,
09:45it has decided to issue half a million more work permits
09:48for non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028
09:52under a multi-year policy framework called Decreto Flussi.
09:56Businesses such as these were unhappy with the pushback
10:00in the Italian government against non-European workers.
10:04But now hope an increase in flow of workers
10:06will allow them to restart work at sites like this,
10:10an under-construction restaurant in an upmarket locality.
10:13Other businesses, such as this luxury residence in the heart of Rome,
10:19which employs nearly all foreigners, are equally pleased.
10:24The hospitality industry is huge in this country.
10:28So, there are only in Rome, I think, more than thousands of properties.
10:33So, everyone is always looking for new employees.
10:37It's the same in Venice, where Mohamed Al-Sayed lives now.
10:40A sea-diving instructor in Egypt, he is now a barista at the city's airport.
10:46Mohamed was brought to Venice by a placement agency after he was taught Italian
10:50and feels he has an advantage over others hoping to move to Italy
10:54since he learned the language before arriving.
10:57But that doesn't save him from weird looks.
11:00The people who are giving me this weird look, you know,
11:03it doesn't matter if it's because of my skin colour or because of my region or whatever.
11:08I'm just showing them that I'm just a human being like you.
11:13But he has been brought in, in addition to 500,000 workers,
11:16to be recruited under the quota system.
11:19The placement agency that has brought him to Italy says
11:22the government has offered additional tools to meet the needs of businesses.
11:28Some say Decreto Flussi is the way forward
11:30to provide businesses with the workers they need
11:32whilst also offering legal ways for workers to enter the country.
11:36But does it help the government in reducing irregular immigration?
11:41Not in the agricultural sector, says Alessandra Valentini,
11:45Regional General Secretary of a major agricultural union.
11:48Many workers who are here and have become irregular
11:55arrived through Decreto Flussi,
11:58which allowed them to enter Italy legally with a promise of work,
12:02but which then didn't turn into an official work contract.
12:10Irregular workers cost less, she added.
12:14Experts say compliance is an issue.
12:16There should be more regular checks
12:19so that if someone is brought to the country
12:23with the promise of a job,
12:26this person actually gets the job.
12:29The effectiveness of government policy is still under question
12:33and some argue that those already in the country
12:35should be regularised first.
12:38But there is no disagreement
12:39that whatever the dominant political narrative,
12:42Italy needs more working-age immigrants now.
12:45Spain is currently setting the pace in Europe.
12:56After years of sluggish growth,
12:58its economy surged by 3.5% last year,
13:02way ahead of the likes of Italy or Germany.
13:05Experts say the momentum will continue,
13:07powered not only by record tourism numbers,
13:10but also by a new driving force, immigration.
13:12Last year, 85% of all new jobs
13:16were filled by foreign workers and dual nationals.
13:19Yet labour shortages persist.
13:21Why? And what's the solution?
13:27A boom in construction on the beaches and in the cities.
13:30Spain's economy is humming,
13:32but it all depends on foreign workers.
13:34They are, in fact, the solution to our labour shortage.
13:42Without support from abroad,
13:44we wouldn't have been able to welcome so many tourists.
13:49Whether in Marbella or Madrid,
13:51Spain's construction industry is back in full swing.
13:55But the days when locals rush to building sites
13:57for quick cash are over.
13:58Today, new projects rely on migrant workers
14:02like Hamid Marey from Morocco.
14:04For job seekers, it's a golden opportunity.
14:07Hamid and Alejandra from Colombia
14:09are part of a growing community.
14:1290% of all new jobs created in the past two years
14:15have been filled by immigrants.
14:17These jobs have emerged mainly in the fastest-growing sectors,
14:24tourism, hotels, and restaurants.
14:27It's no surprise.
14:29In just two years,
14:30Spain welcomed 20 million more visitors.
14:33At the same time,
14:34around 600,000 migrants arrived seeking work.
14:37And they're finding it
14:38in roles many Spaniards no longer want.
14:41Locals are aiming for better-paid,
14:47less physically demanding jobs,
14:48with fewer working hours.
14:51And that leaves these types of positions to immigrants.
14:59Salvador Gallardo's restaurant
15:00on the Mediterranean coast is one example.
15:03Just one of the kitchen staff is Spanish.
15:06The rest are from North Africa or South America.
15:08Together, they're helping Spain's economy
15:11grow faster than other EU nations.
15:14But what sounds like a success story
15:16doesn't benefit everyone.
15:21The country's overall wealth is growing
15:24because the population has grown.
15:27It's as if we suddenly became a much larger country.
15:31But per capita income,
15:33which is what actually matters to most people,
15:36is still lagging.
15:37Eso no ha crecido suficientemente.
15:40One reason is that Spain
15:42has long struggled with low productivity.
15:45Simply adding more workers isn't enough.
15:47Especially in construction,
15:49companies are now looking for greater efficiency,
15:52also driven by ongoing labor shortages.
15:54The plan is to use automation
15:56to build more quickly
15:57and make the sector more attractive.
15:59We're also trying to reach out to groups
16:05that don't usually see themselves in our industry,
16:08such as young people and women.
16:13So far, most immigrants are still working
16:15in lower-skilled jobs.
16:17But Spain is becoming increasingly appealing
16:19to businesses and skilled professionals.
16:21Even Andalusia, long known mainly as a holiday destination,
16:27is changing.
16:28Take Malaga's technology park.
16:30Since the end of the pandemic,
16:32more and more international talent
16:34has been moving here,
16:35including senior managers
16:36with international experience.
16:38We employ people from over 28 countries.
16:43We chose Malaga because of its quality of life.
16:46The climate, food, people and ecosystem
16:48draw international talent.
16:51In the longer run, though,
16:53Spain's success could become a challenge.
16:57If the economy slows,
16:58low-skilled workers would be the first
17:00to lose their jobs.
17:01Are you afraid of being made redundant
17:10by the robots?
17:12Digitalisation and AI
17:13are transforming the working world
17:15with up to 40% of jobs worldwide
17:17at risk of disappearing in the near future.
17:20And 60% of all tasks
17:22could undergo major changes.
17:24At the same time,
17:25experts believe that automation and AI
17:27will create 170 million new jobs.
17:30So, a case of technology
17:33being our replacement
17:34or our partner.
17:39Why are some jobs dying out?
17:42Some professions are disappearing forever,
17:45mostly because of digitalisation
17:47and automation.
17:49Machines fed by algorithms
17:50are ticking over occupations
17:52that humans once did,
17:54like insurance agents,
17:56bank employees,
17:57postal workers or travel agents.
17:59Traditional jobs,
18:01such as street vendors,
18:03bookbinders or shepherds,
18:04are especially at risk of vanishing.
18:08What's driving this trend?
18:10Online shopping is replacing
18:11in-store sales.
18:13Customers are booking
18:14and buying directly themselves.
18:18Digital tools are cutting out
18:20the middleman.
18:21Is this development AI-driven?
18:23Automation lowers costs
18:26and speeds up tasks,
18:27making some roles obsolete.
18:30But there is another reason
18:31many people simply don't want
18:33to do these jobs anymore,
18:35finding them tedious.
18:37But many occupations won't disappear,
18:40they'll change and transform.
18:43Especially in fields
18:45where creativity,
18:46empathy,
18:47problem-solving
18:47and other human skills matter most.
18:51Jobs like social workers,
18:53healthcare professionals
18:54and teachers.
18:56These jobs will stay essential
18:58even in a digital future.
19:00And digitalisation
19:01will also create jobs.
19:03For example,
19:04IT experts,
19:06AI trainers,
19:07engineers
19:07or mathematicians.
19:09The key is adaptability
19:12and learning.
19:14Because the future of work
19:15isn't just what's lost,
19:17it's what we make of it.
19:25Pakistan needs foreign investment
19:27in its infrastructure.
19:29Its demographics
19:29make it an ideal destination.
19:32As do its geographic location
19:34and an abundance
19:36of natural wealth.
19:37But that outside funding
19:39remains strikingly low.
19:42Why isn't Pakistan
19:42attracting the capital it needs?
19:45And what are the potential
19:46downsides of more
19:47foreign investment?
19:54Pakistan,
19:55a country rich in natural resources,
19:58home to a young population
19:59and strategically positioned
20:01at the crossroads
20:02of some of the world's
20:03largest economies.
20:04It should be a magnet
20:05for foreign investment,
20:06but isn't.
20:07Why is that?
20:08For the last 40 years,
20:12Pakistan's macroeconomic framework
20:15is not conducive
20:18to productive investment.
20:21So money is made
20:22by speculation
20:23rather than production
20:25of goods or services.
20:27A focus on short-term gains,
20:32limited exports,
20:33and weak production
20:34has stunted the impact
20:36of foreign direct investment.
20:38Let's put this into perspective.
20:42Over the past four years,
20:44FDI in Pakistan
20:46has barely reached 0.6% of GDP,
20:49low for a developing country.
20:52By contrast,
20:52Vietnam's FDI stands
20:54at 4.4% of GDP.
20:57So what's holding
20:58foreign investors back?
20:59We have allowed
21:00profit repatriation.
21:03We have also allowed
21:04ownership,
21:05100% ownership
21:06of companies
21:07by foreigners.
21:09And generally,
21:10we have been
21:11quite flexible
21:13about the nature
21:14of the FDI.
21:16On paper,
21:18Pakistan has taken steps
21:19to attract investors.
21:21But the reality
21:22tells a different story.
21:25It is an empty
21:26business tax policy.
21:28And if you look at
21:28a typical multinational
21:30company in Pakistan,
21:32it may have to pay
21:3350 to 60% of its income
21:35in tax.
21:37Add that to the growing
21:39involvement of the military
21:40in the business space,
21:42and investor confidence
21:43begins to wane.
21:46There is a whole
21:47military commercial empire.
21:50They are into
21:51almost every sector
21:52of the economy.
21:54They are into
21:55industry,
21:56insurance,
21:57banking.
21:59They have even
22:01laundries.
22:03Because they get
22:04privileged treatment,
22:06the private sector
22:07is suffering.
22:09So,
22:09the competition,
22:11my point is that
22:11competition
22:12in some sectors
22:14is not that strong,
22:18which will then
22:19allow the investors
22:21to operate.
22:23There's also a shortage
22:24of skilled talent,
22:25despite Pakistan's
22:26young population,
22:27with an average age
22:28of just 23.
22:30It's not easy
22:31to find skilled
22:32manpower
22:33in Pakistan
22:34because we are
22:36losing our
22:37skilled manpower
22:38to Europe,
22:40to U.S.,
22:40to the Gulf
22:41countries.
22:43And so that's
22:44another challenge,
22:45I think,
22:46which investors
22:47in Pakistan face.
22:50Despite these challenges,
22:52Pakistan still attracts
22:53some foreign investment.
22:54Its geopolitical location
22:56makes it appealing,
22:57especially to
22:58neighboring countries.
22:59Pakistan as a developing
23:04country sits
23:05in a region
23:07which is
23:08next to
23:09the largest
23:11economies
23:12in terms of
23:14the growth
23:14situated.
23:17So,
23:17we are
23:17next to China
23:19and next to India.
23:21And also,
23:22Pakistan is next
23:23to Central Asia.
23:24Over the past
23:25five years,
23:26China has invested
23:272.88 billion euros,
23:30making it
23:30Pakistan's largest
23:31foreign investor.
23:33Hong Kong follows
23:33with around
23:34900 million,
23:35while the United Kingdom,
23:36United States,
23:38and the United Arab Emirates
23:39have also made
23:40significant contributions.
23:42The Chinese investment
23:43has not really
23:44contributed
23:46to the economy.
23:48Yes,
23:49we have had
23:49a lot of
23:50investment.
23:51There's far more
23:52Chinese loans
23:53and rollovers
23:54than
23:55investments
23:56that are
23:57beneficial
23:58to the economy.
24:00Take
24:00Gwadar Port,
24:01for example.
24:03We leased out
24:03Gwadar Port
24:04for 40 years
24:05to China
24:06and it turned out
24:07that the revenue
24:08sharing formula
24:09between China
24:10and Pakistan
24:11on Gwadar Port
24:12revenues
24:12was 9%
24:14for Pakistan
24:15and 91%
24:17for China.
24:19China's investments
24:20in Pakistan
24:20go beyond
24:21Gwadar Port,
24:22encompassing
24:23various infrastructure
24:24projects,
24:25including power plants.
24:28Over the past
24:28five years,
24:29the energy sector
24:30has been the primary
24:31recipient of
24:32foreign direct investment,
24:34attracting approximately
24:353.5 billion euros.
24:37This is followed
24:38by the financial sector
24:39with 1.3 billion,
24:41oil and gas exploration
24:42with 1 billion,
24:43and investments
24:44in communication
24:45and trade.
24:47While Chinese investments
24:49have strengthened
24:50Pakistan's infrastructure,
24:51their economic benefits
24:53and long-term
24:54sustainability
24:54remain subjects
24:56of debate.
24:57If it does not
24:58begin to change
24:59in the next
25:00two to three years,
25:01then perhaps
25:02we will never change.
25:05Pakistan is now
25:06actively seeking
25:07foreign investment
25:08to tap into
25:09its vast mineral wealth,
25:10including gold,
25:12lithium,
25:12copper
25:13and other
25:13rare earth elements,
25:15a major opportunity
25:16to boost the economy.
25:18The world around us
25:19is essentially
25:20on a reset mode.
25:23And that reset mode
25:24offers
25:26both opportunities
25:27and threats.
25:29Pakistan holds
25:30immense potential,
25:32but making it
25:33a reality
25:34will require
25:35comprehensive reforms
25:36and political stability.
25:46And that's it
25:47for this edition of MADE.
25:48looking at which
25:49countries are desperate
25:50to recruit
25:51foreign workers
25:52and how those
25:53individuals fare
25:54in their new homes.
25:55While other countries
25:57have problems
25:57attracting both workers
25:59and investments
26:00for the future.
26:01That's all from us.
26:03Bye-bye.
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