Germany Chancellor, Olaf Scholz on Friday said Germany would continue to take steps to limit irregular migration, but still needed to attract more skilled workers through the legal immigration system.
Scholz at a news conference in Berlin said changes to immigration policy need to consider the needs of the German economy.
Germany currently faces shortages of workers in several sectors, especially skilled craftsmen and in the trades.
Demographic changes in Germany, which has an ageing population, have also raised concerns about future strains on the labour force as growing numbers of workers retire.
Scholz on Friday said it should be possible to replace the retiring baby boomers with newly trained workers and skilled immigrants.
