Germany has agreed with Colombia to pursue a migration deal, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday, building on efforts by Berlin to bring skilled workers into Europe’s biggest economy via bilateral agreements while reining in irregular migration.

“We want to avoid hopeless asylum procedures and consistently enforce the return of people without the right to stay,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement.

“At the same time, we offer opportunities for training and studying in Germany and attract well-qualified labour, which we urgently need in many areas from skilled trades to care,” she added.

Germany has already struck such agreements with India, Georgia, Kenya, Uzbekistan and Morocco, which among other things seek to speed up the deportation of unsuccessful asylum seekers from those places.

The majority of people seeking asylum in Germany come from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey, according to government data.

• Reuters report