Malta has warned the EU that certain proposals aimed at facilitating the entry of third-country nationals into the EU’s job market might be sending mixed messages to those who intended entering the EU to work illegally.
Intervening during the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, Justice Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said that although Malta agreed with certain positive steps being proposed by the Commission aimed at giving more rights to migrants wanting to work legally in the EU, Malta was concerned that these proposals might also be strengthening the hand of illegal immigrants.
“I fear that sometimes we are trying to square a circle,” he told fellow EU Justice Ministers.
“Although on the one hand it is positive that migrants working in the EU are given their full rights, sometimes I fear that we are sending mixed messages which will, at the end of the day, instigate more illegal immigrants to come to the EU and take advantage of our inability to monitor the same rules we are introducing.”
Dr Mifsud Bonnici’s intervention was made during a first debate on two new directives being proposed by the Commission aimed at giving more rights to seasonal workers who come to the EU to work in specific sectors such as tourism and agriculture. The other proposal is to give favourable conditions to those third- country nationals who want to come to work in the EU in specific areas of expertise.
Through these directives, the EU wants to make sure that these immigrants, who come to the EU legally, are not exploited.
Malta’s Justice Minister said that Malta agreed in principle with these new directives but that all member states should work to achieve the same goal – to respect the rights of these legal migrants and at the same time send a message that there is no space for illegal immigration.
“It is clear from the interventions made that not all countries are on the same wavelength. This might give illegal immigrants the impression that the EU will give them space if they penetrate the system and what is just seasonal work will eventually become permanent. We have to make sure that this does not happen,” he said.
With regard to seasonal workers, the new directive proposes the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals. It includes the right to equal treatment with nationals of the host member state in a number of areas including workers’ representation, payment of statutory pensions and access to goods and services available to the public.
The other directive proposes an accelerated procedure for highly- qualified migrants who will also be allowed to bring their families. They will be granted free movement in the EU.
In her reaction, Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström underlined that the main goal of the two proposals was that once member states decide they need legal immigrants, equal treatment would be given to those accepted throughout the EU.
The directives will now be discussed again at technical level before ministers decide on whether to accept them or not.