Is Germany really the land of opportunities?

It depends. On whom you speak to, that is. Germany being the land of opportunities I dare say is a mindset. For anyone considering moving to Germany, the most obvious huddle is the language and unless you plan to live in the state capital - Berlin, it's something you can't do without. You need the German language for school and to work. Important institutions that run our daily lives like banking, taxes, churches, gyms and government secretariats all function in the German language.

For foreigners who came prepared and by that, I mean they already fulfilled the most essential requirement which is being "a high-skilled worker", learning the language is a bit more bearable and can be done if you are ready to do your part, which is to just study. If you can do this and thereafter get the job of your dreams, to you, Germany might be the land of opportunities. But for the others who aren't classified under the "high-skilled workers" I think the stories are vastly different.

Most Nigerians that find their way into Germany are University graduates but not everyone falls under the high-skilled workers that Germany and Europe as a whole are searching for, this can put one in a difficult situation, the most difficult being that our Nigerian university certificates are not recognised in Germany and one needs to go back to school or acquire a new skill and to accomplish this, you need to learn the language first, this tends to put a dent in things as this can take several years to achieve. This can be really discouraging and burn out a lot of the zeal you arrived with.

Apart from the huge language barrier, the German culture can be a shock to our Nigerianess as the way they do things in Germany is really different from what we are used to. As if this isn't enough, you also have to contend with the massive beaurocracy of the German system. As a result, most people see Germany as too much of a hassle and end up moving to more accommodating Countries (most times English-speaking countries) like the UK, USA and Canada.

So what's the verdict? Yes, it is true, Germany can be a difficult place to settle in. But what's that popular saying that goes "no good thing comes easy...?" I think that explains Germany in many ways, you must put in the work, and they expect you too.

My thoughts on this lies in a gray area as I have seen both sides and I will say, it doesn't matter how you come in, a lot of work is needed to be able to live a comfortable life in Germany. It just happens that some people have to work extra harder than others, which can seem unfair. It's never easy trying to adapt to a different culture and way of life even when you meet all the external criteria and Germany is aware of this which is why they have a lot of state funded programmes to help foreigners assimilate as well as to learn their language.

Which brings me again to my opening phrase, that it all really depends on you -plus a lot of hard work and luck.

I would like to hear your thoughts, has Germany been kind to you in providing you opportunities to advance yourselves or has it been a disappointing experience so far and why?

Until next time, Tschüss!