en | it |    Press releases20.11.2008

Blue Card - Immigration: EU prepares lukewarm welcome for skilled workers

The European Parliament supported a diluted position in its plenary vote today on the European Commission's proposed "Blue Card" scheme. UK Green MEP Jean Lambert commented:

 "The Blue Card could have been a bright initiative to attract much needed skilled workers from beyond the EU's borders. It is a pity therefore that Parliament supports a host of restrictions on an already limited scheme. In its current form, this proposal would offer a lukewarm welcome at best.

"I regret that the hurdle of needing to earn 1.7 times the average salary in the host country will be imposed. Another weakness is the excessive focus on paper qualifications: professional experience is at least as valuable and should be properly recognised. The Greens believe immigrant workers should have rights as equivalent as possible to EU nationals.

"It is true that care must be taken when attracting people from certain sectors in the world's poorer countries, but we should also avoid a situation where they are the only ones excluded from the opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience working in Europe.

"The half-hearted proposal as it stands will do little to convince skilled workers to choose EU countries over more popular destinations such as the US and Canada."