Green light for EU Blue Card immigration scheme

May 26 2009 by Gareth McConnell

EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot

The European Union has approved plans for the EU Blue Card scheme aimed at attracting highly skilled migrant workers and their families to live and work in the EU.

The EU Blue Card is designed to rival the US as an attractive destination with simplified residency terms and favourable working conditions.

Fast-track procedures and access to the labour market are intended to reduce the 85% of unskilled migrant labour currently in the EU, compared to 5% in the USA and increase the 5% of highly skilled migrant labour, compared to 55% in the USA.

The new rules will also introduce penalties against employers of non-EU citizens in the EU illegally.

“I am very glad that today we have been able to put in place two important pieces of our common immigration policy," said EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot.

“Highly skilled migration into Europe increases our competitiveness and economic growth, and helps tackle the demographic problems resulting from our ageing population.

“With today’s adoption of the EU Blue Card we send a clear signal that, irrespective of economic ups and downs, such migrants are always welcome in the EU.”

The EU Blue Card is a route to permanent EU citizenship, after 18 months working and living in the EU legally, the holder of the Blue Card, along with their families, are allowed to move to any other member state for employment purposes.

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