EU to promote legal migration 

Subsidiarity

No quotas for the number of migrants to be allowed entry will be set at EU level. This will be left firmly within the purview of the member states only. Launching the policy, Commissioner Frattini stressed that the principle of subsidiarity will prevail.

The Policy Plan looks at four issues:

• An outline of legislative proposals to come. There will be a framework directive on the basic rights of immigrant workers and four specific directives dealing with conditions of entry, residence rights etc.
• Tools to foster better exchange of information will be developed through an EU immigration portal and the European job mobility portal (EURES).
• A successful migration policy depends on successful integration. The work on migration therefore will be co-ordinated with existing integration policy.
• Measures to promote co-ordination with the countries of origin of immigrants on issues such as circular migration, combatting 'brain drain', linguistic training programmes etc.

Commissioner Frattini explained that his approach was aimed at combatting illegal immigration by providing a European framework in which people can come legally to the EU to work. He gave the example of a proposal for multi-annual workers permits. These would allow seasonal workers the right to enter and work in the EU for six months every year for a period of five years. The current problem of legal short-term visa holders overstaying illegally would therefore be discouraged, as workers would know they had a right to return for successive years.