EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Portugal to push for “realistic” EU immigration policy

Portugal to push for “realistic” EU immigration policy

11-06-2007

Portugal will push for a "realistic" approach to legal migration in its upcoming EU Presidency, starting 1 July 2007. In the view of the Portuguese, a realistic immigration policy complements strict border control with a focus on social inclusion. It accepts the reality of economic integration as a solution to fill shortages that are expected to emerge in Europe’s labour market.

Portugal’s employment state secretary, Fernando Medina, said that he will push for a "realistic" approach to immigration policy, when his country takes over the six-month EU Presidency next month.

Speaking on 5 June at the annual Employment Week event in Brussels, Medina said the EU needed to take a closer look at "the reality of economic migration" as thousands of illegal migrants from Africa press at the EU’s borders.

"Realistically, we have to approach the question of illegal migration connected to legal migration," Medina said. "I am talking about the reality of economic migration," he added, saying it makes up "the big bulk" of migration.

According to Medina, such a policy should be based on four pillars:

A realistic approach to legal migration, which places the emphasis on economic migration. "If we try to be too restrictive on legal migration, this is not a realistic approach," the Portuguese state secretary said.
Social inclusion policies, which address "how people work and live in the country" as well as their working conditions.
An effective border policy, to control the influx of legal and illegal immigrants. "There is no use having a very tight immigration system if we don't have an effective border control system.'
Development policy, namely co-operation with African countries that make up the bulk of economic migration to Europe, a problem Medina said will "obviously going to continue and to put pressure on our system".

At the same conference, EU Employment Commissioner Vladimír Špidla announced measures to counter illegal labour in Europe, so called black market employment:

"This Autumn, we will launch an initiative against black-market labour in general, not only concerning immigrants from third countries, because black-market labour is the strongest cause of social dumping in Europe."

According to Špidla, black-market labour represented around 15 per cent of all jobs available in the EU. According to the Commissioner “immigrants are those who suffer the most from black-market jobs”, saying such practices are often close to "slavery".

Source: EurActiv

Links
Visit the Portuguese EU Presidency website

back