Business may see EU-wide policy on foreign labour

It is well know that hiring unskilled foreign labour in Cyprus is easy but hiring skilled foreign labour is nigh impossible, especially now that the government has no right to turn away EU nationals.

The European Commission has now put forward a “Policy Plan on Legal Migration”, which could see EU-wide visas for workers in specific areas such as IT.

The plan aims to include “admission procedures capable of responding promptly to fluctuating demands for migrant labour in the labour market”.

Although details are yet to be fleshed out, it looks as though there will be harmonisation in the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in employment.

Policies will also help improve the integration of economic migrants and their dependants on the labour market and in the host society.

Countries will share knowledge and expertise about migration. They will tackle what is euphemistically called “more efficient management of international immigration flows”, which probably means more collaboration on tackling illegal migration hotspots such as the Morocco-Spain and France-Britain borders.

Concrete initiatives will start from 2007.