The European Union executive plans to encourage legal migration into Europe to plug labour shortages caused by a declining, ageing population, EU officials said today.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini said he would present proposals to member states on October 23rd aimed at reversing a trend drawing skilled migrants to competitors such as the United States and unskilled workers to Europe.
Prime Minister Jose Socrates of Portugal, which currently holds the EU presidency, urged support for the proposal, saying it was crucial to meet labour shortages and curb illegal immigration and people trafficking.
Mr Frattini said 85 per cent of unskilled third-country labour was going to the 27-nation EU and only 5 per cent of skilled labour. The United States was attracting 55 per cent of skilled migrants and only 5 per cent of unskilled labour.
"We have to reverse these figures with a new vision," Mr Frattini told a conference on legal migration.
Mr Frattini's plans involve issuing "blue card" residence permits to skilled workers entitling them to work in a member state for an initial two years and to move into a second member state after two or three years' residence in the first EU state.
Portugal will host the first EU-Africa summit in seven years in December, where the issue will be central.
Portugal, like Spain and Italy, has seen high emigration to northern Europe and benefited from workers sending earnings home.
Increasing numbers of illegal immigrants from Africa are arriving in southern Europe, often taking risky boat trips. Socrates said it was necessary to reinforce control of EU borders "especially the southern maritime frontier".
All EU states have to agree on the proposal on the blue-card system, which is modelled on the US green card.
It has already proved divisive, touching on one of the hottest political issues in Europe, and Germany signalled its opposition.
German Economy Minister Michael Glos rejected the Blue Card initiative in Germany's Spiegel magazine Online, saying Germany could not accept an influx of foreign job seekers just because it had a temporary skilled labour shortage.