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Germany is looking for soldiers, spies and nurses
2025-08-23 17:49:05 / BOTA
The German Secret Service (BND) and the German army, the Bundeswehr, are present with recruitment stands at the international computer games fair Gamescom being held in Cologne.
BND spokeswoman Julia Linner says that at the secret service's stand, visitors can take part in the computer game "BND Legends — Operation Blackbox," in which players take on the identity of an undercover agent to thwart a cyberattack. The game, which the BND plans to make available on a public platform, tests players' skills in a number of specific situations and is intended to attract young people to work for Germany's secret service agency.
Spokeswoman Linner says that for many people the BND is a big unknown and we want to reveal some of the secrets of our work in order to attract new employees. She notes that many young people who play computer games have skills that are conducive to increasing the effectiveness of the work of spy agencies – such as digital skills, communication skills, teamwork and resistance to stress.
For similar reasons, namely recruiting young men and women for the German army, the Bundeswehr is also present with a stand at Gamescom. At the Bundeswehr stand, visitors can drive tanks or fly helicopters in simulators, or do real physical training wearing bulletproof vests next to a giant poster that reads: "Are you ready for the next level?"
Like BND spokeswoman Linner, military spokesman Marco Mann says: "We are where the people are who we want to be." The Bundeswehr, which has been present at Gamescom since 2009, wants to show young people what an attractive employer it is, says Marco Mann.
However, critics raise doubts about the appropriateness of such activities. Pacifists such as Jürgen Grässlin of the German Peace Association (DFG) say: "In murder games, players take on different roles in which they simulate murder; they even receive bonus points for killing an opponent."
According to him, "the Bundeswehr has no reason to be present at Gamescom."
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also used his visit to Indonesia to recruit nurses from the country. While demographic data shows that Germany's population is aging, about half of Indonesia's 284 million citizens are under the age of 30.
In the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, Wadephul, accompanied by Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, visited a nursing school and spoke with students about their plans for the future.
However, Germany currently issues only about 1,000 work visas to Indonesians each year due to the labor shortage. Berlin says that obstacles to issuing visas are the lack of the necessary education, insufficient German language skills and the lack of recognition of Indonesian certificates and diplomas in Germany./ DW
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