par Weatherburn, Amy
Organisme financeur Platform for Undocumented Migrant Workers
Publication Publié, 2023-09-12
Rapport
Résumé : Across the European Union (EU), the need to address labour market shortages is a prominent component of labour market activation and labour migration policy discourse. Matters such as the challenges posed by Europe’s ageing and shrinking population, the green and digital transitions, and the need for EU Member States to compete on a global scale as an attractive destination for prospective workers are particularly key components. Part of the solution to addressing the deficit in workforce supply has been for EU Member States to turn to non-EU citizens and has led to the development of a legal migration package consisting of legal instruments that harmonise the rules on entry and residence for specific categories of third country national migrant workers: in particular, highly qualified workers, seasonal workers, and intra-corporate transferees. For third country nationals who do not fall within the scope of these categories, the EU Single Permit Directive 2011/98/EU6 prescribes the procedural rules for their admission for the purpose of employment and minimum set of rights for permit holders. It is this legislative instrument that will be the focus of the present study, in which we will examine its impact on the lived experiences of third country nationals seeking access to the EU labour market as single permit holders in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Spain.The comparative approach is adopted on the basis that the implementation of the Single Permit Directive has seen significant variation, with particular concerns regarding the complexity and efficiency of the application (and renewal) procedure, the exclusion of certain categories of migrants from the scope of the Single Permit Directive and the lack of protection of migrant workers from exploitation. These issues have been examined in 31 semi-structured interviews with prospective, current and former single permit holders, wherein we explored their lived experiences of seeking employment in the EU with particular emphasis on the procedural pathway to obtaining and retaining a single permit and the experience of living and working in the EU. From the findings, it is possible to discern eight key areas of improvement in the design and implementation of the Single Permit Directive, that will significantly contribute to guaranteeing the social and labour rights of migrant workers. The findings and recommendations of the current study seek to contribute to ongoing European and national discourse around the revision and update of labour migration policy regarding the EU Single Permit Directive.

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