Supporting Migration and Labour Mobility
Ageing of the European population, labour market shortages, and skills mismatches across the EU reinforce the need to recruit immigrant workers to meet the needs of the labour market. Project UNTANGLED’s results, together with previous literature, have important implications for migration policies at an EU and country specific level. UNTANGLED reports a relatively high level of migration to the EU and within the EU with strong differences in the education levels of migrants, and strong differences in the extent of migration between the EU countries. As the number of posted workers across the EU increases it becomes particularly important for the European Labour Authority (ELA) to safeguard the rights of migrants and establish fair labour markets across the bloc. Two key challenges that emerge in this context are the attractiveness of EU countries for migrants, and the successful integration of migrants into the labour market. The key challenges are addressed in this report by providing policy recommendations at the EU and country level. European member states can offer financial incentives to attract migrants to the areas with the highest needs. Such incentives can take the form of reimbursement of costs when people move to take up work in another area, and preferential tax schemes to attract high-skilled foreigners. Employment opportu nities should be improved for non-EU persons seeking employment in the EU by providing residence and work permits. The European Qualifications Framework should be more strongly implemented to accelerate the recognition of occupational qualifications in the EU and enable efficient movement of labour to and within the region. Fourth, societal integration should be improved by even more strongly focusing on language learning, providing access to affordable accommodation, appropriate social protections, and equal treatment directives, and by accelerating the granting of citizenship.
Project Untangled