EU: Open door for qualified workers

Open door for qualified workers
http://ec.europa.eu/news/employment/071023_1_en.htm

As Europe's population ages, economic immigrants may boost the declining
labour force.


A new commission proposal would see a blue card permit system introduced for
qualified immigrants,  a one-stop shop for people seeking work and
residence, and clearer rights for people working legally in the EU (23
October).

As a consequence of its aging population, Europe could soon experience a
real shortage of qualified workers. To maintain economic growth in the EU,
Europe has to become a real magnet for highly-qualified workers, many of
whom currently prefer the US, Canada or Australia. Hence the proposal for a
European blue card – a single work and residence permit giving access to a
range of socio-economic rights, especially family
reunification< http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/family/fsj_immigration_family_en.htm>.
Each EU country would still be free to decide the number of immigrant
workers it could admit.

In order to avoid a damaging brain drain in developing countries, the
commission proposes setting standards to limit or ban active recruitment
there.

A one-stop shop would be set up for all potential
workers<http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/work/fsj_immigration_work_en.htm>,
currently confronted with 27 different procedures.

The commission also wants legal immigrants to have the same rights as EU
citizens (working conditions, salary, education, social security). This
would both ensure better
integration< http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/integration/fsj_immigration_integration_en.htm>of
immigrants, and protect European businesses against unfair competition
based on cheap labour.

European immigration
policy<http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/fsj_immigration_intro_en.htm>

 Immigration and integration - the European challenge
<http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=6JzC4kSAoSI>