Kick-off Workshop of the Thematic Component 3 on Legal and Labour Migration, and EMN National Conference 'Navigating a Changing Labour Migration Landscape in Lithuania and EMN Countries’

Description

The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania, have the pleasure of inviting representatives of the Prague Process states to the ‘Kick-off Workshop of the Thematic Component 3 on Legal and Labour Migration’ taking place in Vilnius on 23 April 2024. This activity will also launch the structured cooperation with the European Migration Network (EMN). On 24 April 2024, EMN Lithuania will be organising the National Conference ‘Navigating a Changing Labour Migration Landscape in Lithuania and EMN Countries’, extending the invitation to the representatives of the Prague Process states. We are confident that the cooperation between the two networks will further enrich the substance discussions and exchange among the Prague Process states and EMN members.

The Kick-off Workshop aims to explore the current state of play in the area of legal and labour migration across the region and facilitate the exchange of best practices, current needs and policy responses. The first session will explore the challenges and opportunities posed by labour migration. Session two will focus on strengthening capacities for better labour migration management as well as on effective approaches to providing accurate information to potential migrants. Following the adoption of the Prague Process Action Plan 2023-2027 in October 2022, these issues were identified as priorities among the participating states in this thematic area, addressed under TC 3.

Labour migration is a significant form of mobility in the Prague Process region, with millions of people opting to work abroad on a short-term, seasonal, and longer-term basis every year. Within the EU, for example, the number of newly issued residence permits for employment reasons amounted to 1.2 million in 2022, representing 36% of all permits issued for different purposes that year. Close to 40% of these first-time work permits were issued to the nationals of non-EU Prague Process states[1]. The increasing labour migration reflects the labour shortages witnessed in many countries across the region,[2] spanning diverse skill levels and occupations, including engineers, doctors, software developers, nurses, carers, drivers, cooks, and cleaners.

Addressing legal and labour migration constitutes one of six thematic areas within the Prague Process Action Plan 2023-2027 endorsed in 2022. A survey carried out among the participating states in early 2023 showed that this thematic area ranks highly on their political agenda. The Thematic Component 3 aims to facilitate intergovernmental exchange and learning on legal and labour migration. 

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[1] Eurostat: First permits issued for remunerated activities by reason, length of validity and citizenship

[2] OECD: International Migration Outlook 2023