EU Updates Migration Rules: Simplifying Procedures for Foreigners

Key Points:

• EU migration rule update to facilitate access to labor force
• Simplification of procedures for obtaining work and residence permits
• Possibility to submit applications inside and outside the EU
• EU Pact on Migration and Asylum with new regulations

In a recent agreement reached between the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, updates have been proposed in European legislation concerning the process of legal migration to the EU for work purposes, reports "Interfax-Ukraine".

These changes aim to facilitate the process of obtaining work and residence permits for citizens from non-EU countries, which should help to mitigate the current labor shortage in Europe.

The main goal of these changes is to simplify and accelerate the procedure for applying for work and residence, which also includes providing more rights and equal treatment to migrants compared to EU citizens. This is expected to improve the international talent pool and reduce labor exploitation.

The new rules allow for applications from both outside and inside the EU, provided there is a valid residence permit.

EU member states retain the right to decide how many and what kind of foreign workers they wish to admit.

The proposal includes issuing a single permit within three months of application, which also involves checking market conditions.

There is also provision for holders of a single permit to change employers and the right to stay in the country for a certain period in case of job loss.

Read also

In Europe, 4.3 million Ukrainian refugees are under temporary protection, and this number is growing

By the end of June 2024, there were 4.3 million people in EU countries who had received temporary protection due to Russian aggression. Most of them are in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

This proposal, originally put forward by the European Commission in April 2022, now awaits formal approval from the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.

New Pact on Migration and Asylum

This legislative project aims to manage all aspects of migration, from the arrival of migrants to the decision on their requests for international protection.

It is important to note that the pact retains the so-called "Dublin principle," according to which the responsibility for examining an asylum application primarily lies with the country of first arrival.

Furthermore, the pact includes new regulations such as the Screening Regulation for preliminary checks of asylum seekers, the updated Eurodac Regulation for collecting biometric data, and the amended Asylum Procedures Regulation, offering both traditional and accelerated procedures for examining applications.

Changes in Labor Migration Legislation

The European Union faces demographic changes, including rapid aging of the population and low birth rates.

This leads to significant social and economic consequences, including increased demand for healthcare and social services, reduced productivity, and increased public spending.

To help address these issues, the European Union encourages legal migration to alleviate labor shortages, fill skill gaps, and stimulate economic growth.

Development and Driving Forces of the Workforce in the Eurozone

In recent years, there has been an increase in the proportion of new workers in the eurozone who were previously not working.

The transition from inactivity to employment (I-E transitions) has become a major factor in employment growth. This indicates that only about 37% of new hires in the first half of 2023 were unemployed in the previous quarter.

This data corresponds to information from Eurostat, according to which I-E transitions accounted for 60% of new employment in 2022, contrasting with the 2011-2019 period when U-E transitions accounted for 51% of new employment.