Making Smart Moves – How labour mobility & legal migration can make a positive contribution to European labour markets

Work mobility and economic migration have been a strategic priority of the European Commission in the past years. The need for legal migration has become even more evident in the context of the rising skills and labour shortages in Europe. In complement to its Strategic Issue Paper on skills and labour shortages released in September 2022, the World Employment Confederation-Europe has released a new, dedicated paper on the topic of labour mobility and work migration, highlighting the approaches and solutions that the European private employment services industry has developed over time and making recommendations to improve the positive contribution that these can bring to labour markets in Europe.

On 8 December 2022 the World Employment Confederation-Europe hosted a panel debate, bringing together representatives of European employers’ organisations, practitioners and EU policymakers to discuss current opportunities and challenges linked to work mobility and legal migration. This debate also addressed the recent European Commission initiatives in the field of legal migration, such as the long-term residence directive and the single permit directive.

Speakers:

• Menno Bart, Executive Committee member, World Employment Confederation-Europe
• Saskia Hoermann, Policy Officer, DG Home and Migration, European Commission
• Diana Stefanescu, project specialist, International Centre for Migration Policy Development
• Delphine Rudelli, Director General, CEEMET
• Dimitris Theodorakis, Director, Uni-Europa

Moderation by Denis Pennel, Managing Director, World Employment Confederation-Europe

Introduction and welcome by Herman Nijns, President, World Employment Confederation-Europe