13.4. Migration policies

A better management of migration flows has become a strategic policy objective for Member-States and the European Union as a whole. Employment and social policy have an important role in most areas of the EU Migration policy namely:

·         The opening of legal channels to economic migration;

·         Promoting a more effective integration of the immigrants in the host societies;

·         Fighting against illegal migration; and

·         Developing partnerships with the countries of origin/transition on migration issues.

The Lisbon strategy pays particular attention to the need of better integrating the immigrants and their descendants in the labour market. The main issue is the low level of qualification of many of the immigrants and those of the second generation. The Guidelines for Growth and Jobs call for more investments in human capital in response to new competence requirements. In particular, the Integrated Guidelines 19 (Inclusive Labour Markets) and 20 (Matching of Labour Market needs) underline the need for an appropriate management of economic migration. In the context of the Employment Strategy, the Commission monitors the impact of National Reform Programmes with Annual Joint Employment Reports and encourages Member States to make immigrants' labour market integration a more explicit dimension of their employment policies.

The 2007 National Reports on Strategies for social inclusion and social protection confirmed the importance of migration issues in the framework of Social Inclusion Process. Several Member States have identified the integration of immigrants as a national priority issue. The social impact of migration will be mainstreamed into the work of the new 2008-2010 cycle and has been proposed as the focus theme for 2010. The EU has already adopted specific legislative instruments to ensure the ban on age, sex, ethnicity or other form of discrimination in employment and occupation:

·         Directive 2000/43/EC (29 June 2000) implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin; and

·         Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation.

Since 2001, the EQUAL Development Partnerships offered innovative experience and good practices in combating discrimination and strengthening the employability of immigrants. Exploiting and giving value to this experience is now up to each Member State. The European Years of Equal opportunities for all (2007) and of Intercultural dialogue (2008) serve as platforms to enhance the relevant debate and, potentially, the adoption of appropriate measures. In these European Years, several awareness-raising initiatives included the dimension of immigration focusing in particular on the host societies. Since 2001, the EQUAL Development Partnerships offered innovative experience and good practices in combating discrimination and strengthening the employability of immigrants. Exploiting and giving value to this experience is now up to each Member State. The new European Social Fund (ESF) regulation (for 2007-2013) foresees specific actions in favour of immigrants. The priority "Enhancing access to employment" (ESF regulation art. 3.1(b)) provides for: "specific action to increase the participation of migrants in employment and strengthen their social integration". It will include pathways to integrate people into employment, specific actions to validate competences and acquired skills, training, counselling and so forth. An amount close to € 2.6 bn, (3.6%) will be allocated in the 2007-2013 period for actions aimed at increasing migrants' participation in employment. Equally important is the issue of the long-term care workforce, composed mainly by women. Particularly in the EU Member States facing such work-force shortages, adequate recruitment, training and retraining remain a challenge which the ESF can potentially help addressing, as does the coordination of formal care with informal care. The improvement of working conditions and formal recognition of informal carers in social security schemes are ways to ensure high level of quality in informal provision. PROGRESS is the EU’s new employment and social solidarity programme with a total budget of € 740 million for the 2007-2013 period. Working alongside the European Social Fund (ESF), it started in 2007 and will run until 2013. PROGRESS provides support to Member States efforts towards:

·         Strengthening the implementation of the European Employment Strategy and the open method of coordination in the field of social protection and inclusion;

·         Improving the working environment and conditions including health and safety at work and reconciling work and family life;

·         Ensuring the effective implementation of the principle of non-discrimination and gender equality and its mainstreaming in all EU policies.

For further information see http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/index_en.html.