Select Committee on European Scrutiny Thirtieth Report


18 IMMIGRATION, INTEGRATION AND EMPLOYMENT

(24604)
10293/03
COM(03) 336
+ ADD1
Commission Communication on immigration, integration and employment;
and Commission staff working paper: Extended Impact Assessment on the
Communication on immigration, integration and employment.


Legal base
Document originated3 June 2003
Deposited in Parliament 16 June 2003
DepartmentHome Office
Basis of consideration EM of 1 July 2003
Previous Committee Report None
To be discussed in Council Date not set
Committee's assessmentPolitically important
Committee's decisionCleared

Background

  18.1  This Communication has its roots in the conclusions of the Tampere European Council, which identified "fair treatment of third country nationals" as one of the elements of a common European immigration and asylum policy.[52] In November 2000, the Commission produced a major Communication on immigration policy indicating how it planned to implement the conclusions.[53] Since then, the Commission has undertaken work on all the elements identified at Tampere except for those aspects of the fair treatment of third country nationals concerned with integration.

The documents

  18.2  This Communication seeks to fill the gap. It sets out the Commission's assessment of the current position on the integration of migrants in the EU and on the nature and effects of immigration flows. It also proposes guidelines to promote the settlement and social inclusion of immigrants.

  18.3  The Impact Assessment (ADD1) sets out in very general terms the likely costs and benefits of the approach to migration set out in the Communication, together with an assessment of some alternative approaches. The introduction acknowledges that the exercise has been difficult and that there is inevitably a degree of overlap with the Communication itself.

  18.4  The first section of the Communication outlines the current framework for integration in the EU, focussing in particular on relevant EU legislation and policy initiatives. Among the most significant of these are the proposed directives on the status of third county nationals who are long-term residents,[54] the conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals for employment,[55] and the directive on the right to family reunification.[56] The relevance of the European Employment Strategy, the anti-discrimination directives[57] and initiatives in the field of social inclusion are also emphasised.

  18.5  The second section of the Communication considers the nature and effects of immigration flows into the European Union, and is a useful synthesis of current knowledge. It concludes that migration is unlikely to fall in the near future, but points out that, with enlargement, "part of past immigration will become internal mobility". Previous experience, however, suggests that internal labour mobility from new Member States will be moderate to limited, except for border regions.

  18.6  The document finds little evidence that immigration has led to higher unemployment or to displacement of EU nationals, although there can be adverse effects on specific groups or sectors such as unskilled labour in services. Jobs with low entry levels in terms of skills can give non-EU nationals a way in to the labour market. However, they will not be in a strong position with regard to wages or job-quality. Most studies find that immigrants are no more dependent on welfare than their EU national counterparts in the same social and employment situation.

  18.7  The Communication highlights the potential advantages of managed immigration for the economic performance of EU countries against the background of expected sharp declines in the number of EU citizens of working age. However, a detailed analysis of possible future employment levels makes it clear that the problem of the ageing population is of too great a scale to be solved by managed immigration alone.

  18.8  The third section discusses the integration of immigrants. It defines integration as "the development of a balance of rights and obligations over time", with more rights and obligations accruing the longer a third country national resides legally in a Member State.

  18.9  The document proposes a holistic approach to the management of integration within the EU. That involves policies covering a whole range of areas: the labour market; education and language skills; housing and urban issues; health and social services; the social and cultural environment; and nationality, citizenship and respect for diversity. The Communication identifies categories of migrants with special needs which must be reflected in such policies; these include refugees and people enjoying international protection, women, and second and third generation immigrants. It emphasises the need for recognition of the experience and qualifications of refugees. The Communication also points out that, while policies to combat illegal immigration must remain vigorous, the presence of illegal migrants in the EU and their basic rights — to emergency healthcare, for instance — cannot be ignored when integration policies are developed.

  18.10  The Communication puts forward a number of recommendations which are broadly endorsed in the Impact Assessment:

  • speedier adoption of outstanding legislative instruments;
  • better co-ordination of integration policies, especially those concerned with introduction programmes, language training and participation in civic, cultural and political life;
  • development of the concept of "civic citizenship";
  • adoption of the employment guidelines within the European Employment Strategy, several aspects of which are relevant to integration within the labour market;
  • reinforcing initiatives to combat social exclusion and increase cohesion;
  • strengthening the fight against discrimination;
  • making use of the European reference levels (or "benchmarks") to promote integration (especially those related to early school leavers, reading literacy and education attainment levels);
  • improving co-operation with third countries to facilitate orderly migration flows;
  • reinforcing EU financial support for integration, both through pilot projects and through the European Refugee Fund; and
  • improving information on migration, in part by establishing the European Migration Network.

The Government's view

  18.11  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office (Caroline Flint) tells us:

    "The Government welcomes the Communication and Impact Assessment. None of the lines of action proposed would cause insurmountable problems for the United Kingdom: many of them are already being taken forward here; and the thinking in the Communication gives the impression of having being heavily influenced by developments in the United Kingdom. The Government particularly welcomes the Commission's emphasis on the importance of citizenship. It proposes to play a full part in the development of the proposed holistic approach to integration policy, much of which is anticipated in the White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven."[58]

Conclusion

  18.12  This is a helpful Communication which discusses key issues and identifies how existing EU policies and initiatives can promote the integration of immigrants.

  18.13  While we welcome the Minister's positive approach to the document, we note that she makes no mention of the fact that the UK is not participating in the proposed directives on the status of third county nationals who are long-term residents, the conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals for employment, or the directive on the right to family reunification — all cited in the Communication as key legislative instruments. In our view, that should be set against her claim that the Communication "gives the impression of being heavily influenced by developments in the United Kingdom".

  18.14  We clear the document.


52   Conclusions 18-21. Back

53   (21845) 11529/00; see HC 28-iii (2000-01), paragraph 3 (17 January 2001). Back

54   (22362) 8237/01; see HC 152-xxxviii (2001-02), paragraph 30 (16 October 2002). Back

55   (22627) 11803/01; see HC 152-xv (2001-02), paragraph 3 ( 30 January 2002). Back

56   (23452) 8628/02; see HC 152-xxxviii (2001-02), paragraph 32 (16 October 2002). Back

57   Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC. Back

58   CM 5387. Back


 
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