Today I met a doctor in our town who doesn't want to travel abroad. A very unusual experience. When we moved here about 20 years ago, everyone wanted to go to the West: from the deputy mayor to the ordinary employee. At the time, we had a notice in our consultation office with the following information: there is no money here, no arranged marriages with European women and no visas for Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the tide turned. We met people who were returning home from Europe. The reason was the positive economic development in the country. There was a breath of hope and optimism, an economic upturn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The situation has worsened again since Covid. In almost every first meeting we are asked: \"Can you help us get abroad?\" The sports centre I visit sends young athletes to Europe for competitions, but their real intention is to settle there. Healthcare workers are learning German so that they can emigrate to Germany. A neighbouring family and close friends flee to the West for religious reasons. From a city with less than 90,000 inhabitants, around 8,000 young people are said to have travelled abroad last year, almost 10% of the population. In 2012, 59 local doctors travelled to Germany. In 2021 there were 1,405, or 27 doctors per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Foreigners and their Christian religion are currently in demand - but mostly only as a means to an end in order to come to the West. It's not just well-educated people who are trying to do this. It is to be feared that a whole generation will be missing here one day, quite apart from the consequences of the resulting 'brain drain'.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is Europe ready for this new wave of economic refugees? In terms of the state-organised network, yes, but will these people come to know Jesus there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With kind regards, the B\u00fchlerfamily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n