CHANGAMKIENI HII: EU 'blue card' to tempt skilled

Mtoto wa Mkulima

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Apr 12, 2007
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EU 'blue card' to tempt skilled

There are fears the plan could lead to a brain drain from poorer nations
The European Commission is set to unveil a Blue Card for skilled immigrants, based on the US Green Card.
The card would allow suitably qualified people and their families to live and work within the EU.

The EU says it needs 20 million skilled immigrants over the next 20 years, and is very short of expertise in engineering and computer technology.

Correspondents say another aim of the proposal is to deter the best brains from emigrating to the US to find work.

The BBC's Mark Mardell in Brussels says the plan is controversial and some countries are sure to oppose it.

Critics also fear that Europe's attempt to take the best and leave the rest will only encourage a brain-drain from poorer nations.

Creating 'EU magnet'

The UK, Ireland and Denmark could opt out, but the other EU members will have to take part.

PROPOSED 'BLUE CARD'
Points system for skills and languages
Attached to individual, rather than job
Residence permit and work permit in one
Britain, Ireland and Denmark likely to opt out


EU pins hopes on 'blue card'
Send us your views

UK ministers say officially they are studying it, but our correspondent says they are not keen on the idea, preferring to develop a points system.

Under the proposals, due to be unveiled on Tuesday afternoon, a Blue Card would enable holders and their families to live, work and travel within the EU.

To be eligible for the card, new immigrants would need to show a recognised diploma, have at least three years professional experience and the offer of a job which could not be filled by an EU citizen.

"To maintain and improve economic growth in the EU, it is essential for Europe to become a magnet for the highly skilled," the European Commission said in a statement.

"...To do so, the EU must present a united front, rather than emphasise the different immigration policies of each member state."

The plan will need the approval of all member states to come into force.


Some politicians in the Netherlands and Germany are hostile and the Austrian government has condemned the plan as "a centralisation too far".

There is a real tension between politicians all over Europe, who know their voters are worried about immigration, and businesses which say they will not be able to function without the skills of graduates from India and China, our correspondent says.
 
tupatie more info,ili tuweze kuchangmka, otherwise kama unaturambisha pipi ilio na plastik
 
To gain approval, the "blue card" and related legislation would have to be approved by all 27 EU member states. According to the proposal, each member state will set its own quotas for "blue card" grantees, based upon its needs.

The card has met with some resistence, particularly in Germany, where many remain skeptical of a pan-European solution to the problem. In September, the idea drew fire from German Economy Minister Michael Glos, who said: "Germany could not take in large numbers of foreign workers just because it needs them at one particular moment." But business leaders in Germany have complained in recent months that shortages in skilled workers (more...) such as engineers and computer specialists could start to have a negative effect on the economy.

To be eligible to receive a "Blue Card" a migrant would have to have a contract for at least one year for a job with a salary at least three times -- or, for candidates under 30, two times -- the minimum wage in that country and health insurance. To offer the job to an immigrant, employers will be obliged to show that the job could not be filled by an EU citizen.

Next year, the commission is planning to propose employment guidelines for seasonal workers involved in the agriculture, construction and tourism industries. Thereafter, it hopes to also address the issue of non-EU employees of multinational companies who are often required to obtain multiple work and residence permits when working and living within the 27-member bloc.

The EU had been considering this issue since 1999, but shelved it for several years following 9/11. If EU member states agree to the law, each country will have two years to implement it.
 
Unaweza kutoa tovuti na jinsi ya kushiriki/kujaza?

tupatie more info,ili tuweze kuchangmka, otherwise kama unaturambisha pipi ilio na plastik
Wakuu sorry sikuicheki hii issue ndio maana mnaona kimya nilikuwa kwenye mabox kidogo. Eebwana issue yenyewe niliikamata kwenye BBC may be nitacheki info zaidi then nitaziweka hapa wakuu kama nitazipata. Ila ni issue mpya kabisa ndio imetoka jikoni.

http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10024478
 
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