Rome offers extended permits, formal hiring path for Filipino health workers Last updated: May 08, 2026 | 05:27 Germany has recruited up to 6,000 Filipino nurses in recent years. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock recently visited Manila to express interest in hiring other skilled Filipino workers. Gulf News File Manila: Italy is moving to recruit thousands of Filipino nurses through a planned government-to-government labour deal, while also extending the work validity of Filipino nurses already in the country until December 31, 2029. The proposed agreement is meant to create a more "orderly, transparent and regulated system" for hiring health professionals as Italy tries to fill a shortage estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 nurses. Proposed framework Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial said he met with Italian Health Minister Orazio Schillaci on April 24 in Rome, where the Italian side expressed openness to a bilateral labour agreement for health professionals.…