Legal migration and integration
Under the Treaties, the Union is meant to "develop a common immigration policy aimed at ensuring, at all stages, the efficient management of migration flows, fair treatment of third-country nationals residing legally in Member States, and the prevention of, and enhanced measures to combat, illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings" (article 79(1) TFEU).
Based on solidarity between Member States, this common policy is intended to establish a balanced approach to dealing with both regular and irregular immigration, and includes competences in support of action of the Member States for the integration of third-country nationals residing legally on the EU territory.
This subject file is focused on legal migration and integration which form one of the four pillars of the approach taken by the EU in its response to the increasing migration flux from third-countries, along the lines set by the 2015 European Agenda on Migration, next to the fight against irregular migration, the reinforcement of common border management and the revision of the common asylum policy. The EU legislation on legal migration is sectorial (for Highly qualified workers, Seasonal workers, students and researchers, family reunification etc.), a proposal for a comprehensive approach having been abandoned at the beginning of the years 2000.
This subject file is focused on legal migration and integration which form one of the four pillars of the approach taken by the EU in its response to the increasing migration flux from third-countries, along the lines set by the 2015 European Agenda on Migration, next to the fight against irregular migration, the reinforcement of common border management and the revision of the common asylum policy. The EU legislation on legal migration is sectorial (for Highly qualified workers, Seasonal workers, students and researchers, family reunification etc.), a proposal for a comprehensive approach having been abandoned at the beginning of the years 2000.
EP Documents
- Procedure page: Conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment
- Subject file on the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS)
- Subject file on the Metsola-Kyenge report on the situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic approach to migration
- Thematic Digest on the European Agenda on Migration
- Fact seet on Migration and asylum:a challenge for Europe
EP Studies and briefings
- EU Blue Card: new rules to attract more highly-skilled workers
- Study on Exploring new avenues for legislation for labour migration to the EU
- Integration of Refugees in Greece, Hungary and Italy - Comparative analysis
- Thematic digest on "What about legal avenues and Integration"
- Fact sheet on Migration and asylum: a challenge for Europe
LIBE Delegations
- LIBE mission to Greece hotspots and Athens, 22-25 May 2017 - Mission report (PDF - 742 KB)
- LIBE mission to Italy, 18-21 April 2017 - Mission report (PDF - 824 KB)
- LIBE mission to Greece, 17-20 May 2016 - Mission report (PDF - 870 KB)
- LIBE mission to Calais, France, 13 July 2016 - Mission report (PDF - 707 KB)
European Commission Documents
- European Agenda on Migration
- Progress report on the European Agenda on Migration, COM(2017)0669 final, 15 November 2017
- European Agenda on Migration - Legislative documents
- Communication of the Commission "Towards a reform of the Common European Asylum System and enhancing legal avenues to Europe" (COM(2016)0197
- DG HOME page on Legal migration and integration
- DG HOME page on Integration
EU legislation in force
Family reunification
Students and researchers
Long term residents
Single permit
Council of the European Union
European Union agencies and bodies
Committee of the Regions
European Economic and Social Committee
Other organisations
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Internation Labour Organization (ILO)