ID :
22104
Wed, 10/01/2008 - 16:48
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/22104
The shortlink copeid
India asks EU to liberalise visa regime By G. Sudhakar Nair
Paris, Sept 30 (PTI) India Tuesday said the European
Union (E.U.) must liberalise its visa regime to allow free
flow of businessmen and skilled professionals from the country
to the continent and was looking forward to the proposed 'Blue
Card' initiative to facilitate hassle-free employment of
skilled migrants.
The ambitious target set at the ninth Indo-E.U. summit
in Marseilles Monday to double the India-E.U. trade turnover
to 100 billion euro (USD 105.25 bn) by 2013 is all the more
reason for the 27-nation bloc to remove hurdles that wil make
it easier for businessmen and tourists to come to the
continent, according to a top Indian official.
The summit attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in his capacity as
chairperson of the E.U.'s rotating presidency, pledged to
expedite negotiations for a broad-based Trade and Investment
Agreement by (T.I.A.) next year.
According to European Commission (E.C.) President
Manuel Barroso, the E.U. is aware of the difficulties faced by
skilled professionals from India and other non-E.U. countries
to come to the continent and was working on the 'Blue Card'
initiative on the lines of the more famous 'Green Card' system
of the U.S.
Naline Surie, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs
Ministry, told reporters that the E.U. has some concerns over
illegal migrants coming to the region and said India is
willing to take them back.
Surie said the Indo-French social security pact being
signed Tuesday was also an important step for Indian
professionals on short duration stays to take back their
social security contributions when they return to the country.
"The final outcome will be a good one," Barosso said
Monday, when asked about the progress of the initiative
acknowledged that qualified professionals from India and other
non-E.U. countries were facing difficulties in getting jobs in
Europe.
Barosso said negotiations were underway in the Council
of Europe to take the initiative to facilitate the employment
of skilled migrants in the E.U. and the issue will be
considered in the next meeting of the Council.
"The issue needs a detailed discussion as it involves
national sovereignty," he said.
The E.U. says it will need 20 million skilled migrant
workers during the next 20 years to plug labour gaps in the
developed world.
The 'Blue Card' would lure the workers by making
easier for them to work in another E.U. country, have their
family join them, receive public housing and get long-term
residency status.
The plan aims to attract information technology
specialists, engineers, doctors, nurses and other highly-
qualified workers from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The card would provide a "one-stop shop" for non-
E.U. nationals with skilled work experience who wish to take
employment in a E.U. member state.
The scheme would help the E.U. compete with other
countries who are attracting many more skilled immigrants.
With the Blue Card, the E.U. hopes to attract the
inflow of skilled workers to the level of U.S., which has a
much higher percentage of highly skilled foreign immigrants.
Unlike the U.S. Green Card, the E.U.'s Blue Card
holder will not get permanent resident status in the member
states.
Any migrant who has E.U. job contract at least two
year guaranteeing a salary of at least three times the minimum
wage in the country to which they are applying and health
insurance can apply for the Blue Card.
Skilled professionals taking advantage of the blue
card would have to earn at least 150 percent of the gross
average salary in the country they wish to work in, or
120 percent for jobs for which there is a shortage of labour.
It is also expected that a job offer will be required.
In addition, the main applicant under the blue card
immigration scheme would be able to bring immediate family to
live with him.
After 18 months, a blue card holder can move to
another E.U. nation, where he or she would be required to
apply for permission to work before taking up employment.
After a required time period elapses, a blue card holder and
his family could apply for permanent residence.
It is expected that the blue card will go into effect
in 2011, when work restrictions for 8 eastern European nations
that joined the E.U. in 2004 expire in member states that
still have them in place.
According to the European Commission (E.C.), about 25
million Europeans are expected to retire and one third will be
over 65 years of age by 2050.
The proposals have already faced opposition from trade
unions, who fear the blue card could undermine training
opportunities for E.U. workers.
The Commission has said, however, that E.U. citizens
will continue to have priority access to the labour markets of
other member states. PTI GSN
PMR
Union (E.U.) must liberalise its visa regime to allow free
flow of businessmen and skilled professionals from the country
to the continent and was looking forward to the proposed 'Blue
Card' initiative to facilitate hassle-free employment of
skilled migrants.
The ambitious target set at the ninth Indo-E.U. summit
in Marseilles Monday to double the India-E.U. trade turnover
to 100 billion euro (USD 105.25 bn) by 2013 is all the more
reason for the 27-nation bloc to remove hurdles that wil make
it easier for businessmen and tourists to come to the
continent, according to a top Indian official.
The summit attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in his capacity as
chairperson of the E.U.'s rotating presidency, pledged to
expedite negotiations for a broad-based Trade and Investment
Agreement by (T.I.A.) next year.
According to European Commission (E.C.) President
Manuel Barroso, the E.U. is aware of the difficulties faced by
skilled professionals from India and other non-E.U. countries
to come to the continent and was working on the 'Blue Card'
initiative on the lines of the more famous 'Green Card' system
of the U.S.
Naline Surie, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs
Ministry, told reporters that the E.U. has some concerns over
illegal migrants coming to the region and said India is
willing to take them back.
Surie said the Indo-French social security pact being
signed Tuesday was also an important step for Indian
professionals on short duration stays to take back their
social security contributions when they return to the country.
"The final outcome will be a good one," Barosso said
Monday, when asked about the progress of the initiative
acknowledged that qualified professionals from India and other
non-E.U. countries were facing difficulties in getting jobs in
Europe.
Barosso said negotiations were underway in the Council
of Europe to take the initiative to facilitate the employment
of skilled migrants in the E.U. and the issue will be
considered in the next meeting of the Council.
"The issue needs a detailed discussion as it involves
national sovereignty," he said.
The E.U. says it will need 20 million skilled migrant
workers during the next 20 years to plug labour gaps in the
developed world.
The 'Blue Card' would lure the workers by making
easier for them to work in another E.U. country, have their
family join them, receive public housing and get long-term
residency status.
The plan aims to attract information technology
specialists, engineers, doctors, nurses and other highly-
qualified workers from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The card would provide a "one-stop shop" for non-
E.U. nationals with skilled work experience who wish to take
employment in a E.U. member state.
The scheme would help the E.U. compete with other
countries who are attracting many more skilled immigrants.
With the Blue Card, the E.U. hopes to attract the
inflow of skilled workers to the level of U.S., which has a
much higher percentage of highly skilled foreign immigrants.
Unlike the U.S. Green Card, the E.U.'s Blue Card
holder will not get permanent resident status in the member
states.
Any migrant who has E.U. job contract at least two
year guaranteeing a salary of at least three times the minimum
wage in the country to which they are applying and health
insurance can apply for the Blue Card.
Skilled professionals taking advantage of the blue
card would have to earn at least 150 percent of the gross
average salary in the country they wish to work in, or
120 percent for jobs for which there is a shortage of labour.
It is also expected that a job offer will be required.
In addition, the main applicant under the blue card
immigration scheme would be able to bring immediate family to
live with him.
After 18 months, a blue card holder can move to
another E.U. nation, where he or she would be required to
apply for permission to work before taking up employment.
After a required time period elapses, a blue card holder and
his family could apply for permanent residence.
It is expected that the blue card will go into effect
in 2011, when work restrictions for 8 eastern European nations
that joined the E.U. in 2004 expire in member states that
still have them in place.
According to the European Commission (E.C.), about 25
million Europeans are expected to retire and one third will be
over 65 years of age by 2050.
The proposals have already faced opposition from trade
unions, who fear the blue card could undermine training
opportunities for E.U. workers.
The Commission has said, however, that E.U. citizens
will continue to have priority access to the labour markets of
other member states. PTI GSN
PMR
