The European Commission approved a project to introduce a system similar to the US residency system. If all EU member states vote for the project, the most valuable foreigners for the European Union will be able to obtain the right to permanent residence and work in any country of the union.
A draft proposed by the European Commission to Legal Commissioner Franco Frattini provides that the number of immigrants who receive European green cards will be limited. Quotas will be set by the national governments of each country individually.
As in the United States, the owners of “green cards” will be the best specialists from those areas in which their employees are not enough. Basically, these will be specialists in the field of computer technology, healthcare, research, as well as in construction, explained to reporters in the Moscow representative office of the European Commission. Already in 2006-2015, Europe will need from 10 to 20 million such workers.
However, the project does not cancel the current rule, according to which an EU citizen has an advantage in hiring, all other things being equal.
A separate point in the project is the so-called seasonal workers – they feel a special shortage. For them, the commissioner proposes the introduction of multi-year multi-entry visas – so that workers can return to their homeland, and with the coming of the next season come back to work.
Thus, it is proposed to combat illegal immigration. Now up to 500 thousand illegal immigrants enter the EU annually. Frattini believes that the reform he proposed will reduce this figure, if only due to the fact that some illegal immigrants will legally work in the EU.
European Union Introduces US Green Card Analog
In the new year, migrant workers on the streets of European cities will be less.
European officials have firmly decided to introduce a green card system in the EU – permits for permanent residence and work. As Novye Izvestia was told in the Moscow representative office of the European Commission, the other day the members of the commission approved this project, proposed by the Commissioner for Legal Affairs Franco Frattini. Now every country member of the Union must vote for it. If this happens, then the most valuable for the European Union foreigners will be able to obtain the right to permanent residence and work in any EU country.
Franco Frattini suggested using the immigration model, which has long been operating in the United States. As in America, the number of immigrants who receive European green cards will be limited. In the United States, this is about 700 thousand per year, plus 55 thousand, which are annually raffled. In the EU, quotas will be set by the national governments of each country individually. As in the USA, not everyone will be the owners of “green cards”. Preference will be given to workers in those areas in which there are not enough specialists. “These are specialists in the field of computer technology, healthcare, research, as well as in construction,” NI explained in the representative office of the commission. In the next decade, 10 to 20 million of these workers will be needed in an aging Europe. Obviously, such an impressive “hole” will not be able to fill the citizens of the EU newcomers. Therefore, all hope for immigrants. However, as the project developer Franco Frattini noted, this does not cancel the current rule, according to which an EU citizen has an advantage in hiring, all other things being equal.
A separate item in the Frattini project are the so-called seasonal workers. There is a particular shortage in them, since it is unprofitable for permanent EU citizens to get seasonal work. For them, the commissioner proposes the introduction of multi-year multi-entry visas. They will allow them to safely return to their homeland (future holders of “green cards” will be able to leave the European country no more than a year), and with the coming of the next season come to work. “If a foreign worker is guaranteed the right to come to Italy annually for 4-5 months to earn money, he will have less motivation to stay there illegally,” Frattini cited an example. In general, his entire project is one big measure to combat illegal immigration. Now up to 500 thousand illegal immigrants enter the EU annually. The Commissioner believes that his proposed reform will reduce this figure, if only because some illegal immigrants will legally work in the EU.
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