Feeling blue

An agreement with European Union countries is underway to help Egyptian workers access Europe's job market, reports Reem Leila

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The Ministry of Manpower and Immigration (MMI) has revealed its intention to sign an agreement during a conference later this month in Torino, Italy under which European Union (EU) countries will allow suitably qualified Egyptians to live and work in the EU. Europe suffers a shortage of labour in many sectors, says MMI spokesman Ibrahim Ali, and allowing Egyptian workers access to the EU job market will be of mutual benefit, giving the chance to European firms to fill vacancies and helping to alleviate the problem of unemployment at home.

While the US receives 55 per cent of all skilled immigrants from Asian and African countries, Europe has hitherto received just five per cent. It also accepts up to 85 per cent of the world's unskilled migrant labourers, in addition to a growing number of illegal immigrants.

Under the so-called blue card scheme, up to 25,000 well qualified Egyptian labourers will be admitted to the EU, a figure which Ali says could increase should the scheme prove successful.

Plans for the "blue card" policy have been in place since 2005, part of the EU's attempt to emulate the success of America's green card programme in attracting skilled migrant labour and narrow the labour gap in the aging developed world.

"If it is unanimously agreed by EU states, the blue card system will enable applicants to quickly obtain work permits," explains Ali.

The EU believes it needs 20 million skilled workers over the next two decades, and is particularly short of expertise in engineering and computer technology. The new proposals, though, face resistance from some countries which remain reluctant to let the EU have a say in migration policies.

Under the proposed system Egyptian migrants will be able to stay and work for up to two years, and penalties against employers hiring illegal immigrants will be increased. The UK, Ireland and Denmark are expected to resist the application of the new proposal while other EU members are likely to agree to it.

To be eligible, says Ali, Egyptian workers will need to present a professional diploma and have at least three years experience in the field. Blue card holders will be offered a minimum one year contract and a maximum of two which could then be renewed. They will also be able to have their families join them within the first six months of obtaining their cards without having to prove they have reasonable prospects of obtaining a permanent residence permit. Tax benefits, social assistance and pension schemes applicable in the country of work will apply to the workers who will also be entitled to access public housing. The card, though, will be revoked if the holder loses his of her job and remains unemployed for more than three months.

MP Gamal Zahran sees the scheme as a new form of exploitation and discrimination. "Labourers are going to spend a lot of money on educating and training themselves while EU countries will then take only the cream of the crop," he says. The scheme, he argues, will deprive Egypt of qualified and skilled workers.

"The Egyptian labour will be empowered in order to face international competition and challenges," counters Ali, who says only LE2,000 will be paid by each worker for the three-month training course that will qualify them for a decent job opportunity abroad.

Unemployment in Egypt is currently estimated at 10 per cent. Egypt's population is growing by 2.2 per cent per year, while new entries to the labour market have reached 2.6 per cent of the total work force annually. According to an International Labour Organisation (ILO) study, over half a million people reach employment age each year and the economy is growing too slowly to provide them all with work. Although the government has long said tackling unemployment tops its agenda it has yet to make a serious impact in providing more job opportunities. Gouda Abdel-Khaleq, professor of economy at Cairo University, points out that 833,000 jobs must be created each year to absorb new entries to the labour market yet so far the number of new jobs has not exceeded 600,000 jobs. Egypt must figure out how to tackle unemployment within Egypt, he argues, rather than "sending our own experts, many of whom already work, abroad".