Gervais Appave, International Organization  for Migration
The dynamics of a globalised economic labour market

Contemporary migration, in contrast to earlier migratory phenomena, is uniquely related to, and defined by, the processes of economic and social integration that are collectively known as globalization. Whether by design or not, these developments appear responsible for the creation of an unprecedented context in which human mobility seeks to find expression on a genuine global scale. While it may be premature to postulate the existence of an international labour market proper, there is no doubt that global dynamics already ensure that patterns of labour supply and demand operate across international borders. This presentation starts with a discussion of those dynamics underlying the increase in the mobility of the highly-skilled; it identifies broad trends in movement across different categories of highly-skilled workers – including permanent and temporary migrants, but also students; and, finally, canvasses some major policy challenges confronting policymakers in this field.

Shams Asadi, Vice President of Occupational Health and Safety City of Vienna
Economic Migration in Europe

Economic migration within the European Union (the free movement of labour) has increased significantly since the latest EU enlargements.
Cities have become the main target of this mobility, not only because of the jobs they offer but for a variety of other reasons.
Which impacts do the current migration trends have on cities?
“Cities and Economic Migration, Challenges and Local Policy Responses” is a study of Eurocities, giving an overview of recent developments concerning economic migration in Europe. The study examines the main challenges facing cities with regard to economic migration, and looks at examples of positive actions that cities are currently taking to improve their capacities to welcome migrants, provide migrants with access to services and to the labour market. Providing a toolkit as well as a set of recommendations to policy makers on a national and European level are some core subjects of the study, which will be presented.
The multilateral British Council project OPENCities and the involvement of the City of Vienna in it will provide another example of how to act strategically in the area of cities internationalising and opening up towards migration.

Dr. Ibrahim Awad, International Labour Organisation
The Blue Card- Conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the highly-qualified

This Directive aims at improving the EU’s ability to attract and- where necessary- retain third country highly-qualified workers so as to increase the contribution of legal immigration to enhancing the competitiveness of the EU economy. As such its objective is to reinforce the efficiency of EU labour markets by creating the conditions for meeting demand for highly- skilled workers. In principle, the Directive puts immigration policy at the service of labour market policy. Member States are aware of the objections that the Directive could raise on grounds of encouraging brain drain, which runs counter to the development objectives of the EU. Therefore, it deals with brain drain, but only it its preamble, announcing intentions.

Some comments can be made in respect of the Directive.

• To meet concerns of developing countries of origin, the Directive could have mentioned in its operative part measures to counteract brain drain. In addition to refraining from pursuing active recruitment in sectors suffering from lack of human resources, provisions for monitoring the implementation of the directive could have been developed. These measures would have been beneficial for the EU and for third countries in the formulation of their education and training policies. It is not too late, however.

• The advocated provisions and measures can now be formulated and announced. In addition, as a contribution of development policy, measures can target aid to higher education and training institutions and centres of excellence in countries of origin. Scholarships, exchange programmes and fellowships for higher studies for third country nationals can also be put in place. The aim would be to raise productivity and meet the demand for highly-skilled workers in countries of origin, in addition to contributing to meeting in demand in the EU.

• Monitoring of the implementation of the Directive should provide information on the occupations most in demand and on the actual transfer of skills from developing to EU countries. This information could be a basis for the formulation and implementation of adapted policies.

• It could also be useful to explicitly bring coherence to the EU immigration, labour market and development policies. Clarity would be to the best interests of all concerned.

Prof. Jane Hardy, University of Hertfortshire
Poland and United Kingdom- the relationship between senders and receivers

The presentation will give a broad overview of migration from the post-communist accession countries of the ‘new’ Europe to the ‘old’ Europe since 2004. In particular it will focus on the United Kingdom and Poland, which are two of the most significant sender and receiver countries. There will be a discussion of the push-pull factors and the implications of these for the migration of highly-skilled labour. The impact of the economic crisis and recession on these trends will be explored, in relation to the new labour market conditions and the aspirations and intentions of these workers. The consequences of the original exodus of, and the new conditions experienced by, well qualified young workers will be discussed in relation to the economic and social impacts on Poland.

Elmar Hönekopp, senior researcher and economist
Mitigating the cleavage between the demand of low and highly-skilled labour

All short- and long-term labour market analyses show that almost all EU-countries (including New Member States) like all industrial countries are confronted with an increasing demand for qualified workers. At the same time, the labour market situation for unqualified persons is worsening.

Against that background, it is important to illuminate the structure of qualification that workers moving from NMS to Old Member States and the reverse bring along. It is still the case, that the main receiving countries are employing workers from the East to a large degree for jobs where higher qualification is not necessary. Simultaneously, these persons conducting low-skilled work are often qualified workers.

Migration for economic reasons from East to West has changed tremendously during the past years after the last two EU-enlargements, regarding numbers, geographic orientation, working status (e.g. as employees or self-employed) and the structure of qualification. As an example: Germany is despite its restricted access to the labour market first or second most important receiving country for NMS in the EU (including the various types of employment). The labour market situation for highly-skilled workers from NMS, however, has clearly improved in the last years. Unemployment for the less qualified (not: for qualified people on low-skilled jobs) is unvaried very high although its contribution to the labour market is remarkable.

Germany, like all other European countries (s.a.) needs qualified workers. It is in competition for them with the other European countries. But there is no demand for unqualified workers, since Germany disposes over a high number of (already existing) unskilled labour force within the country. The European Union, Germany and e.g. Poland need free labour movement out of economic reasons (with clear and reliable economic and social conditions). It is, however, a central educational, labour market and social challenge for all these countries to reduce the share of low-skilled workers on the long run, but increase employment opportunities for them on the short and medium run.

Dr. Martin Kahanec, Institute for the Study of Labour
The myth of mass migration post EU enlargement

Are immigrants from the new member states a threat to the Western welfare state? Do they take jobs away from the natives? And will the source countries suffer from severe brain drain or demographic instability? This presentation integrates what is known about post-enlargement migration and its effects on EU labour markets. Drawing on the analysis of rigorous analysis and hard data, it makes a convincing case that there is no evidence that the post-enlargement labour migrants would aggregate displaced native workers or lower their wages, or that they would be more dependent on welfare. While brain drain may be a concern in the source countries, the anticipated brain circulation between EU member states may in fact help to solve their demographic and economic problems, and improve the allocative efficiency in the EU. The lesson is clear: free migration is a solution rather than a foe for labour market woes and cash-strapped social security systems in the EU.

Dr. Thomas Liebig, Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
Avoiding brain waste and personal grief

The 2009 OECD International Migration Outlook presents a roadmap for managing labour migration. The contribution presents some of the main findings regarding highly-skilled migration. Highly- skilled migration has changed in recent decades, from a world where the movements took place largely within OECD countries to one where immigrants are largely of third-country origin, with qualifications and work experience that are often discounted by employers. This can result in a waste of human resources as well as lead to frustration if the expectations of immigrants with regard to returns on their qualifications and experience are not realised. Many of the less favourable outcomes, however, concern situations where immigrants have arrived without jobs and without always having accurately assessed their prospects in the host-country labour market prior to arrival.

The most sensible way to address the asymmetry between expectations of skilled immigrants and their eventual labour market outcomes is to reduce the likelihood of its occurring, by taking appropriate measures upstream, before immigrants arrive. In practice, this means:

• Favouring potential immigrants with prior job offers;
• Assessing language proficiency and qualifications before admission;
• Implementing, where appropriate, more comprehensive assessment and certification procedures for foreign qualifications and work experience.

Recruiting international students who complete their studies in the country is one way of ensuring that immigrants enter the labour market with qualifications that are needed and recognised. Increasing the enrolment of international students can create a new pool of potential immigrants with domestic qualifications from which to recruit, with less risk of adverse effects on origin countries, because the cost of training is partly borne by receiving countries or migrants themselves, than recruitment from the ranks of qualified workers abroad.

Dr. Hans Dietrich von Loeffelholz, German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees
Innovation – Economic Growth – Welfare system

The importance of highly-skilled immigrants as a vital contributing factor to both innovation and economic growth should not be underestimated. Cultural diversity - as a by-product of the influx of highly-skilled persons from abroad - not only supports innovation, productivity and economic growth, it also underpins lasting structural change, an essential element in ensuring success when competing in the global market. Empirical studies have also found that Germany also benefits from the immigration of highly-skilled immigrants by way of an increased number of patents, ideas and processes, as well as from product innovations. This is particularly true of the western and southern German federal states. This still holds true, even now, in the midst of the most serious financial and economic crisis to follow World War II. The crisis may well be leading to an increased loss of unskilled jobs, but the added demand for highly-qualified ones cannot be entirely covered by indigenous, well-educated employees. This gap also needs to be filled by highly-skilled immigrants from all over the world. German - and on a broader scale - European migration policies are addressing this grouping and have gone some way to easing the entry of the best and the brightest from abroad (to the EU) in accordance with the prevailing economic and labour market conditions in each member state.

The contribution of highly-skilled immigrants to the continued sustainability of EU social security systems is indispensable. This contribution is not only of quantitative, but also of qualitative importance. However, the sustainability of these (welfare) systems in the various EU member states is crucially dependent not only on the ongoing resources of an ageing and shrinking workforce, but to an increasing extent on the contributions of earlier immigrants and their offspring. The influx of highly-skilled immigrants can further support these options by providing essential additional macro-economic impulses, thereby contributing to greater growth and helping the economy adapt to changing labour market demands.

The pressure placed on national welfare systems by highly-qualified immigrants is almost a negligible factor in their admission. The influx of highly-qualified employees, and in particular that of business entrepreneurs brings with it lower overall unemployment in the national economy, because of the expected work ethic and integration readiness of such immigrants, which in turn benefits indigenous low and semi-skilled workers. Highly-skilled immigrants rarely utilise welfare transfers. Moreover, they fund general public services with their current taxation and social security contributions. In this way, highly-skilled immigrants help the indigenous population bear fixed costs in public spending, such as defence funding, or in helping to service the public debt. Particularly important in Germany in this respect is the continued funding the ongoing costs of German (re)unification.

Dr. Ryszard Cholewinski, IOM Geneva
The Blue Card- a first step for potential “Mobility Partnerships” between the EU and third countries

Despite the application of the fundamental principle of free movement of workers in the European Union and its extension to nationals from the “new” Central and Eastern European Member States, it is difficult to speak of a single EU labour market. Important differences persist in the labour markets of the 27 EU Member States and these differences are also manifested in the provisions of the Blue Card Directive, which was adopted in May 2009 and which has to be transposed by June 2011. The Directive aims at establishing uniform conditions for the entry and residence of highly qualified third-country nationals in EU Member States, but it cannot regulate the numbers of such workers admitted. Nor does it replace national schemes designed to attract highly skilled migrants from third countries. The Directive, therefore, cannot be viewed as the only response to Europe’s need for highly skilled workers. It is proposed that further measures are necessary and that one approach would be to forge concrete partnerships with key third countries, focusing on a wide range of issues, such as human resource development both for the domestic and international labour markets, skills upgrading, language training, recognition of qualifications and residence rights. The concept of Mobility Partnerships, currently being implemented as a tool of the EU’s Global Approach to Migration (the external dimension of EU migration policy), may offer an interesting model for the development of broad-based arrangements with third countries concerning the admission of highly skilled workers into the EU, either on a temporary or long-term basis.

Kamuran Sezer, Futureorg Institut für angewandte Zukunftsforschung
The statistical accident: Male, urban, migrant- and highly qualified

In the presentation, I intend to reconstruct the internal perspective of Turkish German students and academics. The discussion will focus on their education and general circumstances of employment, specifically taking into account their intention to immigrate to other countries.

While in Germany’s 60’s, it was rural Catholic females that were disadvantaged in education; this feature has shifted to male urban migrants. This trend is confirmed by the TASD survey on Turkish German students and academics. While the academic population is balanced among the genders, it remains unbalanced in the German Turkish student body; it drifts towards females by two thirds. TASD findings of this kind imply that male students of Turkish descent face obstacles that may have induced withdrawal and resignation. 

The survey reveals interesting findings when comparing the genders in their emigrational intention. It is striking that womens’ reasons to leave Germany for Turkey are more of a pragmatic nature than those of men, who tend to emphasize emotional aspects. Whereas women weigh professional reasons equally with a lack of sense of belonging, the majority of men intending to emigrate do so specifically because they claim to lack a sense of belonging in Germany. In this context, it is further speculated that men have felt rejected and excluded due to obstacles or barriers they have faced.

Prof. Dietrich Thränhardt, Universität Münster
Work and Life Chances for Immigrants

Canada’s negative experiences with point systems make me sceptical about planned immigration systems in particular about immigration without a concrete perspective on a job. On the other hand, the present economic downturn brings new interest of many highly qualified people from neighbouring European countries to work in Germany. In 2011, immigration restrictions for Poles and other new member states in 2011will end. The European „Blue Card“ brings perspectives for highly-qualified people from non-EU countries around the world. Important are attractive, efficient and transparent regulations for work and life in Germany in a non-discriminatory climate and less paternalistic attitudes against non-European migrants. The approach of the Federal Agency for Labour and of other state and para-state institutions must change. Instead of blocking activities by suspending the right to work in many categories, Germany needs a climate of free initiative for everybody

Prof. Dr. Klaus Zimmermann, German Institute for Economic Research
Mobility and migration- a chance in times of crisis and beyond

This presentation proposes, against the background of the current economic crisis, short-, medium- and long-term perspectives for European Migration. Circular migration will gain in importance due to that fact that labour migrants are very responsive to economic cycles. In order to make EU labour markets more efficient and to mitigate some consequences of the economic crisis, circular migration, however, has to be addressed by effective policies to encourage mobility and overcome the currently low labour mobility. Migration must not be seen as a burden in times of economic crisis. Since the crisis has enforced the needs for structural economic reforms and adjustments, there is an even larger demand for labour mobility and economic migrants both within and between the continents. International migration, brain circulation and mobility can be powerful allies in times of economic crisis – if migration policies are carefully chosen and correctly implemented. In the short run, labour mobility has to be encouraged by abolishing current barriers to free movement and by easing regulations to attract labour migrants after economic recovery. From a medium-term perspective, the EU labour market has to be mobilized via different strategies such as the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and the full and transparent portability of social entitlements. In the long run, a comprehensive migration policy has to be implemented, in order to establish the EU as the “first choice” migration destination for skilled international labour.