Page 62 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

(a) will European markets be open enough and have adequate mechanisms at
work to allow for stable and peaceful integration of the arriving labour force?
(b) what are the most fragile groups, in need of greater support for their labour
market integration?
(c) will the incoming labour force have access to skills and qualifications that:
(i) respond to their integration needs?
(ii) respond to needs of the receiving country's employers?
(d) will the qualifications and skills held by the immigrant population critically
contribute to growth of the economies?

The reasons for issuing first residence permits for Europe to third-country
citizens clearly reflect economic motivation. Figure 3 shows that, family
reunification drives 30% of the permits issued, followed closely by permits to
develop remunerated activities (25%).

Figure 3 First residence permits by reason – EU (%); 2011

35
30
25

20
15

10
5
0
Family reasons Remunerated Other reasons Education reasons
activities reasons

Source: Eurostat, population statistics from available data. Online data code [migr_resfirst].

Between 2004 and 2008, the EU population increased, on average, by 1.7
million per year, due to net migration. In 2008, despite the impact of the
economic crisis and a corresponding fall in immigration to the EU, net migration
was still responsible for 71% of the total population increase (Eurostat, 2011b).
The economic crisis had an effect on the inflow of third-country immigrants,
visible in a reported lowering of residence permits issued for remunerated work in
most EU countries. This fall was higher than 40% in some cases, between 2008
and 2009 (European migration network, 2012). This impact was also reflected in
the indicators of illegal immigration, such as the number of refusals of entry and
apprehensions at EU borders, which also lowered significantly (-21% and -7%,
respectively) (European migration network, 2012) during the same period. The

54