Ten years after the reception crisis that collapsed the protection system and asylum from the European Union, the bloc has set itself the objective keep irregular immigration to the continent at a minimumwhile trying to attract talentaware of the important lack of labor that member countries face.
Stop irregular immigration first and encourage regular immigration later. That is the strategy that European Commission presented this Thursday within the framework of the bloc’s migration and asylum policies for the next five years. “The fight against illegal migration is the basis of the next steps,” he said. the European Commissioner for the Interior and Migration, Magnus Brunner.
In 2015, in the middle of the Arab Spring and after the syrian revolutionmore than a million people arrived in Europe fleeing from war, seeking asylum. The system crashed and caused a political crisis that the continent has been dragging on for a decade. With the reform of immigration policy that entailed the entry into force of the Migration Pact This year, Brussels considers the crisis closed.
“In the past, we were forced to manage multiple crisesespecially after 2015. These challenges forced us to put things in order. That was what finally allowed reach an agreement on the Pact“Brunner said. “Now, we have a new priority: minimize illegal arrivals and keep them that way,” he added.
Migration diplomacy
The truth is that, despite the social alarm provoked by the extreme right, irregular arrivals to the continent They have been falling for years. Still, try minimize migratory flows irregular has become priority for the community Executive. Cooperation with third countries of origin and transit and the externalization of borders focus much of the efforts.
“We must place the cooperation with partner countries at the center of our work”, explained the commissioner, highlighting the importance of what he described as “migratory diplomacy”. This means that the EU will put all your tools at the service of arrival control: trade, development or visa policies, among others. “Migration is linked to many other policies. Therefore, we must work together and take advantage of all the tools and resources at our disposal,” defended the Austrian.
Although the objective is the same, to reduce migration to the continent as much as possible, Brussels is careful to reproduce the violent speech of the president of the United States, Donald Trumpagainst immigration. Although Brunner, who says he will collaborate with the International Organization for Migration, or the UN High Commissioner for Refugeesrefuses to use the language these organizations recommend.
The commissioner has openly opposed using the term “irregular immigration” against “illegal immigration.” The UN itself points out that people who migrate without authorization are irregular migrantswhile when we talk about illegal immigration, The term applies to those who traffic in people.
The Commission has argued that With his strategy he also hopes to “save lives”by preventing people from risking themselves at sea trying to reach Europe. Furthermore, he has assured that will allow for better protection to those people who need it. However, not a single one of the initiatives that Brussels proposes in the strategy is designed to strengthen international protection systems and asylum.
A conditional visa policy
At the same time, the European Commission is aware that Europe has a problem. The European population is aging and often the available labor is not enough to fill certain jobs. Therefore, Brussels wants to stop irregular immigration, but also attract talent.
The Community Executive has also presented this Thursday a visa policy that tightens conditions for countries whose citizens do not require permission to enter the Schengen area, and thus avoid abuse. but also certain advantages for certain sectors where there is a lack of labor, or when agreements are reached.
“The EU must use all its tools to defend its interests, while remaining faithful to its values. Visa policy is one of the key tools at the intersection of security, diplomacy and competitiveness,” said the Vice President of the European Commission, Henna Virkkunen. The block seeks a complex balance.
In order to attract talent, Brussels has opted for shorter digitalized processes, less paperwork and easier transitions, for example, from education to employment. The Commission has recognized that The lack of qualified personnel in technological sectors is important. Also, with an increasingly aging population, more workers will be needed in the health area.
“What we need is a paradigm shift,” Virkkunen acknowledged. “Europe faces a serious labor and skills shortage. Addressing it is key to our economic growth and our competitiveness“said the vice president.
