Vietnamese trainees face debt, exploitation in Europe's largest economy despite promise of free training
Many young Vietnamese who paid brokers thousands of euros for vocational training in Germany say they have been overworked, cheated of wages and unlawfully fired.
In Berlin, Vietnam native Hong Hanh faced unlawful dismissal after nine months of working in a restaurant. The restaurant owner and her broker pressured her into signing a voluntary resignation notice to forfeit her unemployment benefits. She refused and was fired despite not showing interest in the position. The restaurant owner did not attend her confrontation with the IHK Berlin trade union, which is now representing her in the Labor Court.
Germany, Europe's largest economy, has seen a surge in Vietnamese vocational trainees since around 2018 due to the Skilled Immigration Act easing labor shortages. Around 16,000 Vietnamese are currently in vocational training, accounting for 21% of foreign nationals entering for this purpose in 2025. However, many trainees find themselves in exploitative situations, with brokers charging high fees and employers taking advantage of their situation.
Phuong Nga, a Vietnamese nursing trainee, dropped out of university to study German and pay a €7,000 broker fee to come to Berlin. She discovered the advertised high income was actually gross pay, with her taking home half of that amount after rent. Many trainees share rooms without formal contracts, missing important letters and working off the books in restaurants for less than minimum wage.
In one scandal, an elderly care provider in Altenburg concealed that 27 Vietnamese trainees were working unpaid for four to eight months while living in containers.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
