Upper Austria brings 57 Colombian care workers to nursing homes

Upper Austria has brought 57 care workers from Colombia to work in elderly and nursing homes, ORF reported. The workers have begun their jobs and are expected to settle in the region for the long term.

David Quinones and Natalia Suarez arrived in Upper Austria two weeks ago and already speak very good German. They are part of a wider recruitment drive launched because too few people in Austria are choosing care professions.

Social affairs councillor Christian Dörfel of the Austrian People’s Party described the approach as “qualified immigration”. About three quarters of experienced care and support workers are expected to retire by 2050, while demand for care is set to rise significantly.

Quinones said the workers were trying to improve their German every day and learn the Upper Austrian dialect. Suarez said residents had been patient when the newcomers did not understand something, explaining or correcting their words and sharing stories with them.

Upper Austria began recruiting care workers from the Philippines in 2022. About 230 Filipino care workers now work in facilities run by the region’s social welfare associations. Colombia is the next step in Upper Austria’s international skilled-worker strategy in 2026. The Colombian recruits have four-year academic nursing qualifications and practical professional experience.

Dörfel said the initiative was not a short-term staffing measure. The workers had come to Upper Austria with the clear aim of building a long-term professional and private future there.

Green Party integration spokeswoman Ines Vukajlović welcomed the recruitment in principle but said a successful skilled-worker strategy did not end when people arrived. Those brought to Upper Austria should be supported in settling in, living well and wanting to stay long term, she said.