EU Blue Card "key to future prosperity"?

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, president of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform (ELDR) party, says that successful European Union immigration policies are the "key to future prosperity".

In an interview with EurActiv, Neyts-Uyttebroeck said that the European Union is experiencing a demographic change that will cause "immense pressure" on the EU's welfare systems in as little as ten or twenty years.

In addition to speaking about human rights issues and improving cooperation between the EU and Arab countries, she said that the EU must innovate to avoid longer retirement ages. This was in response to a question about possible opposition to economic immigration policies such as the EU Blue Card immigration scheme. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

Much of the action at EU level reverts to economic migration - the so-called Blue Card Scheme. It is supposed to be operational in 2011. But many member states have reservations, despite the fact that the scheme includes circular migration, by which workers develop skills and earn money during a stint in Europe before returning to take up jobs in their home country. How much of this opposition is down to prejudice and how much is related to economic concerns?

Crises feed unfortunate prejudice. This is by no means difficult to understand – with people losing their jobs and facing an uncertain future for themselves and their families, one indeed has full sympathy for their concerns. But as policymakers, we need to look at sheer facts and make clever choices that do not only help us to get out of the crisis, but also to build future prosperity.

In twenty years' time, many EU countries are already likely to have to choose between raising retirement ages or accepting migrants to simply fill all the current jobs on the market – or a mix of the two. If this is not done, emerging markets such as Brazil, China or Russia are sure to fill the vacancies and thereby catch up with the head start Europe has established over some decades.

We should not forget that not too long ago, most European countries were rather emigration countries than immigration countries. Many Europeans left drought, poverty and misery in search of a new life and new possibilities. Other countries, such as the US, then stood by and happily accepted us, and have also benefited greatly from that. Immigrants in search of a new life are usually the ones with the greatest work ethic.

Today, we have worked ourselves up and are in the beneficial position of attracting people to come to our continent. With that legacy, I find it extremely difficult to shut the door completely. What we need to do, though, is to ensure that we value migrants as an opportunity but also demand from them to work for these opportunities. It is neither a threat nor an act of charity.