Third-country migration and European labour markets: Integrating foreigners

Briefing 16-07-2015

The EU faces long-term economic challenges. Its population is ageing, and its economy is increasingly dependent on jobs requiring high levels of skills. Therefore, during the last ten years, the EU has come to consider managed migration as an increasingly important way to provide European economies with the talent they need. Managing legal migration and integrating third-country nationals has significantly evolved in that time, following a sectoral approach. Several new legal instruments have been introduced – most importantly, the Single Permit and the Blue Card Directive, in 2011 and 2009 respectively – in order to facilitate permanent residence and assist in attracting highly skilled workers. The European Union's 'Stockholm Programme' of 2009, and the Commission's 'European Agenda for the Integration of Third-country nationals' of 2011, both pointed to the most crucial element in the successful integration of migrants being their participation in the labour market. Since then, the situation has improved in only a few Member States. Recent data confirm the persistent disadvantages for third-country nationals manifested in their employment and unemployment rates.