Page 100 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

(a) the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have restricted residence and work
licences, as well as family reunification (increased waiting periods). Illegal
entry has also been criminalised in these countries;
(b) there was an increase in selective admission of immigrants to stimulate the
inflow of highly skilled labour and discourage inflow of low-skilled workers.
This movement was especially notable in Ireland, the Netherlands and the
United Kingdom, but similar measures were also adopted in Denmark,
Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Portugal;
(c) Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are attempting to retain both
foreign and national highly skilled workers;
(d) preferential tools to create selectivity are awarding of temporary permits
(there was a clear rise in the Netherlands) and generating scarcity in
occupational lists that determine work permits, reflecting available registered
vacancies or strategic growth options. France, Spain and the United
Kingdom have reduced the number of occupations in the list;
(e) lists have been translated into point-based systems (PBS) in a number of
countries (Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, the United Kingdom);
(f) besides matching immigrant skills to occupational lists, PBS can consider
other aspects such as age (Austria raised the minimum age, the United
Kingdom also considers age), income levels (the Netherlands and the United
Kingdom) and family characteristics (such as level of language);
(g) several countries have introduced integration tests, sometimes associated
with obligatory integration programmes. For instance, the Netherlands,
Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Poland and the United Kingdom
introduced language tests;
(h) several countries are attempting to control irregular migration through
bilateral agreements with the sending countries. Italy has established an
agreement with Greece and Tunisia has established an agreement with
Turkey.

While integration policies encourage successful social and labour market
integration of immigrants, they also help control the inflow type and volume to aid
serve national growth and development strategies. Alongside recent restrictive
actions, support for the admission of highly skilled/qualified labour is unanimous;
all countries have provisions for that purpose.
In most Member States, non-European citizens who have obtained a visa for
entry can request a short-term residence permit. In a growing number, minimum
integration measures concerning the learning of language and culture might be
required of citizens to renew their permits (Germany, Austria, the Netherlands).
Family reunification is considered for application normally by analysing the family

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