http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=77adbebc-4fd9-4e86-bb71-e40a3b2de1df&&Headline=EU%e2%80%99s+new+scheme+for+migrants
EUs new blue card scheme for migrants
A great opportunity awaits Indian skilled workers, including engineers, IT
experts, MBAs, and legal experts, with the European Union (EU) having devised
the Blue Card scheme-- akin to Green Card in the US- to attract workers from
outside EU, to work and settle in the member countries. The EU plans to bring
an extra 20 million Asian and African workers into the Union in the next two
decades. The plan was unveiled by immigration commissioner Franco Frattini. He
explained that the Blue Card, similar to the U.S. green card, would entitle
migrants with more than three years' work experience or a university degree to
work in a member state under "fast-track" immigration reforms. They would be
able to bring in their families after six months.
Frattini described the scheme as a global job advertising blitz to attract
engineers, doctors, nurses and IT workers from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Europe's economy has skills gaps caused by a declining, ageing population, but
the US is currently a far more attractive destination for many qualified
workers. EU hopes to divert the flow by the attractive offer through the Blue
Card scheme.
The scheme, HT was told by a senior Brussels officer, is specially directed
towards Asia and Africa as " we find that skilled people from these regions
tend to go to America and Britain more".
He expects and "hopes" more Indians will qualify as the number of graduates
and engineers in India have been coming out of universities in "huge numbers".
There has been an immediate outcry in Britain, because as it is predicted that
the population because of the immigrants is slated to rise beyond 70 million.
But, this is due to the flow from the European countries, which cannot be
stopped under EU migration rules.
Britain has indicated that it would out of the scheme as it is not bound by EU
policy on immigration and asylum. But blue card-holders would be allowed to
enter the UK by the "back door" because the scheme allows workers and their
families to move to a second EU country of their choice after two years. They
can also apply to stay permanently after five consecutive years in any EU state.
Umesh Sharma
Washington D.C.
1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )
http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/
http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
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