EU proposes to simplify the procedure for obtaining a work permit for foreigners

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) brings together developed countries that are attractive to migrants from all over the world. Most of the migrants are from the largest Asian countries - primarily India, China and the Philippines. The European Union, whose members are also members of the OECD, attracts a much more diverse audience - residents of European countries outside the EU, as well as Africans most often come in search of work in the EU.However, the EU attracts fewer highly educated migrants than other OECD countries: only 31% of the total number of highly educated migrants live in all EU countries, while in the US - 57%.

Migrants arriving in the EU are on average younger and less educated than those arriving in other OECD countries. Employment among migrants in the EU was 10 percentage points lower than in other developed countries. These figures point to the problems existing in the migration policy of the European Union, which could negatively affect the prospects for economic growth.

In a recent report, the OECD recommended that the European Union reform its policy on granting work permits to highly educated graduates of European universities without EU citizenship. The OECD report notes that today different EU countries have different rules for granting work permits: for example, Italy, Spain and Great Britain issue almost half of allpermits issued in the EU, while some other countries attract a minimum number of migrants.

It cannot be said that the rules in different countries differ dramatically: the EU has adopted a number of general rules within the framework of the 1999 Amsterdam Treaty, as well as the 2009 Lisbon Treaty. However, despite the general framework, the differences in detail can be serious enough to make it easier or, on the contrary, much more difficult for students to obtain work permits.

For example, The Netherlandsis one of the European leaders in attracting highly skilled migrants. Recognizing that attracting foreign students is helping to boost the economy, the Dutch government launched the Make it in the Netherlands program in 2014, in which international students learn the Dutch language, thereby facilitating their future employment. For university graduates, special conditions were created to facilitate the search for work - for example, after completing their education, they received a special annual visa, which made it possible to stay in the country during this time.

EU President Jean-Claude Juncker proposed to adopt rules common to the entire European Union that simplify obtaining a work permit for foreigners, primarily graduates of European universities.

To attract foreign students and other qualified migrants, the Blue Card program was developed back in 2009, which, however, was not accepted by all EU members. However, on June 7, 2016 it was announced that the program will undergo significant changes. The European Commission is proposing the following reforms:

• a faster and more flexible permitting procedure.The application can be submitted both from the territory of the EU and from another state.The maximum processing time is reduced from 90 to 60 days

• the various regulations in force in different EU countries will be replaced by the unified European rules for highly qualified specialists

• the minimum contract duration required to obtain a permit is reduced from 12 to 6 months

As pointed out by Stefano Scarpetta, OECD Director for Employment, Labor and Social Affairs, employers in most EU member states already claim that it is much more difficult for them to attract talented graduates than similar companies in other OECD countries. “Skilled migrants can play an important role in spreading innovation and increasing productivity,” he said.

It is very likely that Jean-Claude Juncker will be leaving forto resign in connection with the results of the British referendum. Nevertheless, this will most likely not have a significant effect on the reform of migration policy, since the upcoming changes are supported by most of the EU functionaries. However, the problem is the growing negative attitude towards migrants from the citizens of the European Union.

Particularly strong resistance to EU policies is observed in Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Slovakia.Switzerland held a referendum in 2014 defining quotas for migrants, and in Romania a similar vote will take place this fall. Many European politicians criticized the EU proposals: Gisela Stewart of the UK Labor Party told The Guardian: “It looks like the proposed reforms will open our borders even wider - increasing access to the European market by migrants from conflict zones.”

The EU estimates that the reform of the Blue Card program will generate revenues of €1.4 to €6.2 billion each year by attracting between 32,000 and 137,000 highly skilled migrants. Dimitras Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Internal Policy and Citizenship, says: “If we want to cope with migration in the long term, we must start making these investments now, in our common interest. The Blue Card reform will make working in the EU more attractive for highly skilled migrants, accelerating the pace of economic growth in the European Union. "