Granting Work Visas to Low-Skilled Foreign Workers Could Reduce Irregular Migration to the EU, Says ifo Institute
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. The ifo Institute recommends that the EU negotiate work visa agreements with third countries.
2. These agreements would facilitate legal migration for low-skilled workers, reducing irregular migration.
3. This strategy could decrease asylum applications and disrupt smuggling operations.
The ifo Center for Migration Research suggests that the European Union should establish work visa agreements with third countries to encourage legal work migration and reduce irregular migration into the EU.
The Center believes that EU countries could issue visas allowing low-skilled workers from third countries to take up jobs within the bloc. This policy would decrease the number of irregular entries and lower the number of asylum seekers.
Panu Poutvaara, Director of the ifo Center for Migration Research, noted that the current asylum system is overburdened due to limited legal entry opportunities. He emphasized the need for more legal pathways for low-skilled workers to better manage immigration.
Panu Poutvaara, Director of the ifo Center for Migration Research
_"One reason why the European asylum system is overloaded is the lack of opportunities to enter the EU legally. The chances of obtaining a work visa in Europe are extremely small, especially for low-skilled people."_
These agreements would provide significant benefits for asylum seekers with limited prospects in their home countries, allowing them to apply for work visas regardless of their qualifications.
Controlled Work Visas with Limited Access to Social Benefits
To maintain labor market control, Poutvaara suggests issuing work visas for limited periods and restricting access to social benefits for these visa holders. This approach not only reduces irregular migration and asylum applications but also protects migrants from dangerous journeys.
Yvonne Giesing, a research associate at the ifo Center for Migration Research, highlighted that legal work visas would eliminate the need for dangerous travel and undermine smuggling operations, benefiting both migrants and the EU by reducing asylum costs and promoting legal employment.
Yvonne Giesing, Research Associate at the ifo Center for Migration Research
_"The immigrants could apply for a work visa and enter the EU legally without having to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean and pay smugglers. This would also be beneficial for the EU, as it reduces the costs of asylum applications, destroys the smugglers’ business and creates more legal employment."_
Recently, the EU adopted a reform of the migration and asylum pact, aiming to help member states manage migrant arrivals more effectively and establish uniform procedures across the bloc.