Last year, the Dutch UWV issued 10,000 work permits to people from outside the European Union, out of a total of 400,000 vacancies. Vacancies that remain open, for example in construction, reduce economic recovery or reduce economic resilience in times of war, for example.

It should link the so-called “talent database” that the European Commission wants to close with other countries, specifically, the employer’s request in the Netherlands, for example, with the supply of a potential employee from outside the European Union.

European Commissioner Johansson (Home Affairs) confirmed that quotas will not be discussed when these partnerships are concluded. “Member states are still ultimately deciding how many people they need and how many they allow,” Johansson said.

Minimizing the risks of exploitation

The action plan also discusses better protection for migrant workers. The Commission believes that workers from outside the European Union are now highly dependent on the company that brings them. Upon expiration of the contract, the employee must leave the European Union. This enhances dependency and thus the risk of exploitation.

The commission suggests in the new plan that upon termination of the first contract, the employee has time to look for a new job. It could also be in another EU country. The length of stay also increases.

‘Hope to facilitate discussion of immigration’

By facilitating the admission of migrants needed by the EU, the European Commission further hopes that the number of illegal immigrants will decrease.

This is somewhat similar to the Australian model of immigration, but European Commissioner Schinas, who has the immigration file in his portfolio, does not want to know anything about this: “We have been working on shaping European immigration policy since 2020. This is a step in that.”

In 2020, the European Union submitted a proposal – the Migration Pact – to settle all issues related to the arrival and stay of migrants in the EU at the European level. Since then, the debate over the distribution of migrants among the member states in particular has reached a dead end.

By entering into agreements with countries of origin, the Commission is trying to slow down immigration to the EU at source. The lowering of the legal immigration threshold goes along with this. Schinas acknowledged today that he could facilitate the discussion about immigration in the broadest sense.