EU Council Proposes Fairer Migration Rules for Non-EU Workers

The EU Council has settled on its position in the Review of the Single Permit Directive. This will make the legal migration into the European Union to work more efficient and effective.

SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that the Council stated the new rules were aimed at boosting international talent recruitment and providing equal treatment to workers from non EU countries. This would reduce labour exploitation.

Maria Malmer Stenergard said, in a statement on the Council's position to update EU law dealing with legal immigration to the EU labour market, that it is important to have a smooth application procedure.

She also stressed that EU companies should have the ability to hire non-EU workers in order to deal with labour shortages under simplified rules.

"When labour shortages slow down our companies and prevent them from growing and innovating, they should be able to hire foreign professionals more easily. A predictable and smooth application process is paramount, and this is what the single permit law we agreed on today guarantees," the statement of Stenergard says.

According to the Council, the Single Permit Directive relates to the admission of citizens of third countries as residents and workers in the EU.

The Single Permit Directive also outlines the process by which countries in the EU can issue such a permit, and lays out the rights of workers. The Member States have the final say on how many workers they wish to admit from a third country to their labor market.

According to the Council's position, workers from non EU countries may submit their permit application from either an EU country or a tertiary country. The document that is issued once the permit has been approved by the Member State will be used as a residence permit, and also a work permit.

To ensure a timely decision, the Council proposed that Member States decide on a single application for a permit within four months.

"This period also covers - according to the Council position - the time needed to check the labour market situation before a decision on the single permit is adopted," the Council mentioned.

The Council, in addition to what has been mentioned above, also wants to improve the protection for workers from a third country by allowing them to change employers as long as they inform or request the competent authorities.

These workers can stay in the country for up to 2 months, without losing their status of residency.

Based on this position, the Council can now enter negotiations with the Parliament about the EU and come to an agreement on a final document.

Source: schengenvisainfo.com