Migration og udenlandsk arbejdskraft

Migration og udenlandsk arbejdskraft

What is Volts opinion?

Volt defines "migration" as all individuals and groups who voluntarily or involuntarily move from one place to another with the aim of settling, permanently or temporarily, in a new place. The challenges are different depending on the different groups included in the broad definition of migration. Different policies are therefore proposed with reference to different categories of migrants, however with the understanding that these fixed groups may be blurred and overlapping.

Volt supports workforce mobility by removing existing barriers. At the bi-, multi- and plurilateral levels, there is much to be gained from liberalized obligations specifically targeting the groups of economic migrants coming from developing and least developed countries. An important consideration that should underpin any policy on increased mobility for economic migrants is the needs of the labor market, both in sending and receiving countries. Recipient countries often face an aging population and an over-represented supply of professionals in the service sector. These demographic factors create a demand for the type of work that can be filled by economic migrants. Moreover, economic migrants send a large part of their income back to their home countries in the form of remittances. Investments made possible by remittances greatly benefit the economic development of the home country. Promoting economic growth in the home country through remittances is beneficial to both parties, as it not only supports the development of the sending countries, but also prevents poverty-driven migration because remittances are proven to reduce poverty. Volt advocates that permanent economic migration should be made possible by establishing transparent and coherent policies in all European countries. At the same time, we will also ensure that safeguards are in place to mitigate the negative effects of permanent migration on the workforce and general development in the sending country.

What does Volt want?

Our policy focuses on two kinds of economic migrants: temporary and permanent.

These two groups require different policies, which we elaborate on below.

Temporary migrants

With our policies, we try to promote 'circular labor mobility'. Volt will:

  • Actively assess the impact on the labor market in the receiving and sending countries to ensure a balance between needs and requirements.

  • Work to ensure that commitments made should take into account the outcome of such analysis and mitigate the negative effects of increased labor mobility.

  • Support the active involvement of relevant stakeholders, such as employers and trade unions, when designing policies for temporary economic migration, both in sending and receiving countries.

  • Ensure a level playing field where temporary economic migrants have equal access to justice.

  • Use the expertise of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to design policies that enable temporary migration of workers and that appropriately balance the interests of foreign and domestic workers.

  • Support national and international prosecutors in the fight against human trafficking and in the creation of a global system for reporting human trafficking crimes.

  • Develop a specific migration visa to be made available to temporary foreign workers.

  • Work for visas for temporary foreign workers should be subject to a separate scheme. Temporary foreign workers should not have the right to apply for a permanent residence permit or social security in the receiving country. In return, the labor rights of temporary migrant workers should be ensured by guaranteeing access to medical care, necessary insurance and legal services, as well as compliance with local labor laws in the receiving country.

  • Work to liberalize service obligations in the World Trade Organization to better enable temporary movement of natural persons.

  • Adapt the definition of service supplier in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) to also include workers who fall into categories other than services, such as agricultural and fishing workers.

  • Seize the opportunity to negotiate additional commitments supporting circular migration. Specifically, it means obligations that ensure the voluntary return and prevention of exploitation of temporary workers.

  • Actively work to further define and apply protection mechanisms that enable temporary protection of certain sectors of the labor market in the event of an unexpected wave of temporary migrant workers damaging or threatening to damage the national labor market.

Permanent migrants

Some migrants fall in love with Denmark, and want to live and be part of our society for the rest of their lives. We must appreciate them! At Volt, we believe that you should:

  • Accelerate the establishment of a separate administrative procedure for permanent economic migrants, in addition to facilitating temporary economic migration.

  • Support and further develop existing efforts to facilitate permanent migration for highly skilled migrants, such as the EU Blue Card visa.

What do we want to do in Denmark??

In Denmark, Volt will help companies to obtain the necessary workforce. In addition to the above initiatives, we have below two focus areas that we believe will be necessary for more migrants to help Danish companies

First, we will

  • Lower the amount limit (the annual salary requirement) to DKK 325,000 per year. At the moment it stands at DKK 465,000.

Second, we will

  • Reduce processing times in SIRI, which deals with work and residence permits. Currently, the shortest processing time targets are 1 month. By making them shorter, it becomes easier for our companies to adapt quickly.

With these initiatives, we can help Danish companies benefit from new input from outside, and qualified hands to take on more tasks.

Sources

Page sources

  1. Hertel, T. W. et al, “Agriculture and Non-Agricultural Liberalization in the Millennium Round”, CIES Working Paper No. 16 (March 2000), p. 16-18.

  2. IFAD. 13 reasons why remittances are important.

  3. UNCTAD. Impact of Remittances on Poverty in Developing Countries.

  4. European Commission, “Policy Plan on Legal Migration”

  5. Ny I Danmark, “Beløbsgrænsen”

  6. Ny i Danmark, “Sagsbehandlingstider i SIRI”