Labour market performance and migration flows - European ...

European CommissionOccasional Paper 60, Volume Iin the country of origin – are frequently fluent in English, which is the most widely spokenlanguage in the world, but much less so in Maghreb countries, where French still prevails(this would explain the Maghreb high-skilled migration stream to Europe, and in particular toFrance). The second factor is the educational system, which attracts foreign students and thuspotential migrants. The United Kingdom, the US and Canada have a long tradition in highereducationaltraining, attracting not only third-country nationals, but also a large number ofEuropean students. France, similarly, attracts students from its former colonies. The thirdfactor is the result of the special historic, economic and political ties which derive fromhistorical relations frequently connecting two countries: for instance those ties betweenFrance and Maghreb countries. Such connections make it easier to find a job and reduce thecost of migration.The aforementioned three factors ease the migration of educated labour, but the maindriver of attraction is the skill-wage premium offered in the destination country, which pushesskilled migrants from many countries, including continental European ones, to choose the USor the UK, where wage dispersion is large and wage skill premium higher.A selective migration policy is another factor to be taken into consideration. A selectiveimmigration policy is made by the quota system which selects migrants according to skillgaps and thus creates a process of virtuous immigration in the destination country. The lack ofa selective immigration policy in continental Europe is only one, but not the main cause, ofthe prevalence of low- and medium-skill migration. When for instance, in the 1990s, theGerman government tried to attract Indian engineers, the wage premium was not rewarding incomparison with competing offers available in countries where the cost of migrating was, inany case, lower given the previous immigration tradition and other socio-cultural factors.So if the European Union wants to attract more skilled migrants it should start with aselective migration policy remembering that this is a necessary but not a sufficient conditionto bring about skilled migration inflows. Other instruments including student programmes,degree recognition, entitlements granted with the work permit and bilateral agreements willalso have to be implemented if a higher-skill wage premium is impossible given the wagestructure of the economy.6.3.3. The Blue Card as a Scheme for Highly-Skilled Migration in the Euro-Arab MediterraneanContextThe EU Blue Card Directive was adopted by the Council in May 2009 (with a two year period forits transposition to national law) as part of a plan for defining and facilitating “the conditions ofentry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment”. 52 Itis important to keep in mind that the Directive is in line with the Lisbon Strategy objectives thataim at addressing skill shortages and the labour needs of EU Member States with a view to makingthe EU labour market more competitive and fostering economic growth. Hence the Directive shouldbe interpreted as a logical extension, as well as a major component of EU economic migrationstrategy. At the same time, given the difficulties for the definition of a common EU migrationpolicy, it has to be seen as a compromise and a starting point in a learning process rather than as aready-made instrument. In any case, it is clearly not meant at all as a recruiting system for highlyqualified migrants.52 See Council Directive 2009/50/EC of 25 May 2009, on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly-qualified employment.90