Est. 2min 10-10-2007 (updated: 28-05-2012 ) worker__tower_crane__isp.jpg Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Français | DeutschPrint Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram The employment aspects of EU immigration policies were at the centre of a Parliament hearing on Monday (8 October), just two weeks ahead of Commission proposals to tackle undeclared work while improving the rights of legal immigrants in the European labour market. In a hearing in the European Parliament, on 8 October 2007, MEPs put forward the following catalogue of questions to experts: Is migration an answer to member states’ ageing problems and the working-age population decline? If so should the member states focus on the highly-skilled workers or a mix of workers, including the low-skilled? Can the Australian or Canadian cases, based on quotas by economic sector, be taken as examples for the European Union? What kind of residence status should be given to economic migrants entering the EU, long-term or short-term, and what impact would these arrangements have on the integration of migrants? Should third-country migrants enjoy the same labour and social rights granted to the EU citizens? What would be the best way of guaranteeing third-country immigrants the transferability to their home countries of social security entitlements acquired when working in the EU? What policies and actions have been more successful in achieving the integration of third-country workers and what possible role could social partners, NGOs and civil society play in this context? Read more with Euractiv Study: Integrating older workers is key to growth Industrialised nations will soon be facing major problems in terms of skills and labour shortage if they do not reform their policies for retaining and re-integrating mature workers into the production process, according to a US new study. Subscribe now to our newsletter EU Elections Decoded Email Address * Politics Newsletters PositionsMEPs' questions were answered by two experts, Norbert Cyrus of the University of Oldenburg in Germany and Alessio Cangiano, a demographer working with the UK Centre of Migration, Policy and Society on 'Migration Management'. Cangiano explained that Australia and Canada apply a so-called 'points system', where workers have to collect a certain amount of rating points on the basis of their personal characteristics (such as profession, language competence or family members in the host country) to be admitted to the labour market. He said that "highly-skilled workers actually contribute more to social security systems than they get" and that there is also a growing demand for low-skilled migrant workers in agriculture, hospitality and social services. However, he said that migration is only a short term solution to compensate for the decline in working-age population. Cyrus said he would favour a more "demand-driven" approach over the present "supply-driven" selection: Immigrants should be granted a residence and work permit only after being offered a job in the host country. After a certain "trial period" they should be allowed to shift from temporary to permanent immigration. Hubert Krieger of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) said: "Europe should learn from the experiences of some member states who introduced in previous years so-called 'guest worker' programmes without taking into account that the migrants would stay. He added that the job and career offered in the host country should reflect the migrant's qualifications and competences in order to prevent both a loss of income and status for the migrant as well as reduced wealth and competitiveness for the host society. Background EU policy timeline: Oct. 1999: The Tampere EU summit defines the goal of a common EU immigration policy. Nov. 2000: The Commission follows up with a Communication on a Community immigration policy. July 2001: As the first concrete step, the Commission presents a draft Directive on the conditions of admission and residence of third-country workers. June 2003: As it turns out that the Directive on third-country workers will not find unanimity in the Council, the Commission attempts to contribute to the debate with a Communication on immigration, integration and employment. April 2005: The Commission raises the pressure with a consultation on the Green Paper on an EU approach to managing economic migration. Dec. 2005: The results of the consultation enter into the Communication "Policy Plan on Legal Migration" March 2006: The Commission withdraws the proposed Directive on third-country workers, ending a three-year blockage in the Council. Timeline 8 Oct. 2007: European Parliament Employment Committee hearing on "The integration of economic migrant workers". 12 Oct. 2007: Deadline for implementation of Directive on a specific procedure for admitting third-country nationals for the purposes of scientific research. 23 Oct. 2007: Commission expected to publish two new proposals on: "Conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment"; and; "A single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a member state and a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a member state". Further ReadingEuropean Union European Parliament:"The Integration of economic migrant workers"(8 October 2007) Commission, DG Justice and Home Affairs:Towards a common European Union immigration policy [FR] [FR] [DE] Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs:Employment Analysis: Immigration [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Communication on a Community immigration policy(22 November 2000) [FR] [FR] [DE] PreLex:Proposal for a Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of paid employment and self-employed economic activities(2001 - 2006) [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Communication on an open method of coordination for the community immigration policy(12 July 2001) [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Communication on immigration, integration and employment [135] [135] [135] Eur-Lex:Council Directive on the right to family reunification(22 September 2003 ) [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Council Directive on the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents(25 November 2003 ) [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Green Paper on an EU approach to managing economic migration(11 January 2004) [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Council Directive on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service(13 December 2004 ) [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Council Directive 2005/71/EC of 12 October 2005 on a specific procedure for admitting third-country nationals for the purposes of scientific research(12 October 2005) [FR] [FR] [DE] Eur-Lex:Communication: Policy Plan on Legal Migration(21 December 2005) [FR] [FR] [DE] NGOs and Think-Tanks European Network Against Racism (Barbara Liegl, Bernhard Perchinig & Birgit Weyss):Combating Religious and Ethnic Discrimination in Employment from the EU and International Perspective(April 2004) [FR] [FR] [DE] Think tanks & Academia Universität Oldenburg (Norbert Cyrus, Dita Vogel):Briefing note for the hearing on economic migrant workers(September 2007) Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (Alessio Cangiano)Briefing note for the hearing on economic migrant workers(September 2007) Parliament:CVs for Cyrus and Cangiano Migration Policy Institute (Brian Ray):Practices to Promote the Integration of Migrants into Labour Markets(July 2004), Efficient Practices for the Selection of Economic Migrants Migration Policy Institute (Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Kevin O’Neil and Maia Jachimowicz):Observations on Regularization and the Labor Market - Performance of Unauthorized and Regularized Immigrants(July 2004) Hamburg Institute of International Economics (Christina Boswell, Silvia Stiller and Thomas Straubhaar)Forecasting Labour and Skills Shortages:How Can Projections Better Inform Labour Migration Policies?(July 2004) Hamburg Institute of International Economics (Rainer Münz):Migration, Labour markets and Migrants' integration in Europe: A Comparison(28-29 June 2004) Migrants in Europe and their Economic Position: Evidence from the European Labour Force Survey and from Other Sources
