Without migration, Europe stands still

Executive Summary

Our society cannot function without migration. In view of a rapidly ageing European population and the increasing shortage of skilled workers in key areas such as care, construction and logistics, migration is becoming a social and economic necessity. The current European legal framework focuses strongly on highly qualified immigration, but falls short: the main need is in the practical professions.

This position paper therefore calls for a new pragmatic migration policy that is geared towards real needs. The core of the proposal is the possibility of taking up employment regardless of residence status, coupled with the payment of social insurance contributions and gradual access to social benefits. This would close gaps in the labor market and prevent abusive use of social systems.

In times of increasing right-wing populist narratives, it is important to present fact-based and fair models. Migration is not a threat, but a building block for securing our prosperity and our social systems.

Our society cannot function without migration

Europe is facing two fundamental demographic challenges that are putting pressure on both our pension systems and large parts of the economy:

1. If the birth rate is too low and life expectancy is rising at the same time, there will be fewer and fewer contributors for more and more pensioners.
2. At the same time, there is a shortage of labor in many sectors, as a growing proportion of the European population is no longer willing or able to take on certain jobs (e.g. in care, construction or cleaning).

Although the “EU Blue Card” is an instrument for highly qualified immigration, it only covers a fraction of the demand. A political opening for immigration is therefore also needed in the skilled trades and social professions.

So far, many European countries have mainly focused on attracting highly skilled workers from other countries. This is good for certain professions and sectors, but it only covers a small part of what we really need. Care, construction and logistics are the areas where we have the greatest shortage of workers, and there are hardly any easy ways of attracting them.

Our proposal is radically different and radically simple: we want to ensure that everyone who wants to work and integrate here is allowed to do so. And without bureaucratic harassment and regardless of their origin and residence permit. As soon as someone finds an employer who gives him or her an employment contract, he or she can stay and work here.

A pragmatic approach: work before status

We propose a simple and transparent regulation:

• Any third-country national who can present a regular employment contract in an EU country may work – regardless of the type of visa or previous residence status.
• The employment contract automatically includes integration into the social security system and a temporary residence permit linked to the existing employment relationship.
• In the event of involuntary unemployment, the regular regulations of the respective EU country apply (e.g. in Luxembourg: one month of unemployment benefit per month worked, maximum one year).
• The residence permit remains valid as long as there is an employment relationship or entitlement to unemployment benefit.
• Only after a minimum period (e.g. 5 years of regular work) is there an entitlement to further social benefits (e.g. REVIS, social assistance), linked to integration criteria (e.g. language skills, uninterrupted residence, economic independence).
• For people who come to us or are already here and want to contribute, this new approach has various advantages. Anyone who can present an employment contract is allowed to work immediately and receives a residence permit, meaning they can earn their own money straight away, are not dependent on state aid, become part of the social system(i.e. pay into the social security system and have health insurance, for example) and can build a new life here.
• There are also advantages for employers, as they gain access to a much-needed pool of workers easily and without bureaucratic effort, enabling them to fill vacancies in sectors such as care, catering, construction or logistics quickly and with regular workers.
• And there are also enormous benefits for us as a society. The elimination of the previously required work permit and the automatic granting of a residence permit will ensure that many more third-country nationals living here will come directly into work and pay into our social security systems(instead of simply receiving money from the systems), thereby helping to stabilize our pension and social security systems. What’s more, they ensure that bottlenecks in filling vacancies that affect us all (try finding a tradesman) are reduced or even eliminated altogether.
• And the best thing about it is that it doesn’t even cost us any money, but on the contrary brings in money. And at the same time it can combat undeclared work and reduce xenophobia.

Managing migration, not blocking it

This proposal pursues two goals at the same time:

1. It opens up the labor market to people who actually want to work and are urgently needed.
2. It reduces disincentives for immigration into the social security systems.

The figures speak for themselves: according to the ESDE 2024 report, there is a shortage of over 10 million workers across Europe. In Germany alone, there is a shortage of more than 650,000. At the same time, the working-age population is expected to shrink by 7 million people across the EU by 2030. Without migration, it will soon no longer be possible to maintain key social functions.

And it can’t really be the goal that we allow our social security systems to go down the drain as a result of our own bureaucracy.

Anyone who does not want to adapt to our values has no place here

Migration is not a one-way street. Anyone who wants to become part of our society must abide by its basic rules. These include equal rights, the rule of law, freedom of religion, freedom of expression and the rejection of any form of violence or discrimination. Anyone who rejects these values or actively opposes them has no place in our open societies.

This means that anyone who commits a criminal offense against the free and democratic basic order or permanently refuses integration efforts must expect to lose their right of residence. An open society can only exist if all those who want to be part of it are prepared to respect its basic consensus.

Reclaiming the discourse

In times of growing right-wing populist movements that portray migration as a blanket threat, realistic, fair and workable concepts are needed. This paper sees migration not as a burden, but as an opportunity – if it is shaped.

Europe is a continent of change – not through isolation, but through openness. Migration has shaped, enriched and advanced our societies. But where fears are stirred up, orientation is needed. We rely on clear rules, fair opportunities and shared responsibility. Migration should not be a taboo, but a topic for the future that can be shaped – with respect for our order and trust in our values.

Our society cannot function without migration. But it can benefit from an intelligent migration policy.

FOKUS. – The fact-based alternative to populism