Malta will introduce new rights for “highly qualified” migrant workers by the end of the year, the government has announced, after receiving a second warning from the EU for being late on this legislation.
EU member states were supposed to introduce the system – intended to attract non-EU professionals – last June.
However, Malta, together with another five member states (Germany, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Poland) failed to meet the deadline, earning themselves a second warning in a three-pronged process which could take them all the way to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
In a reaction to the Commission’s second warning letter, the Maltese government yesterday admitted that it was late in adopting this legislation but said it had informed the EU executive of its intention to meet the commitment by the end of this year.
The EU’s Blue Card Directive introduces a scheme aimed at helping attract highly qualified migrants to Europe, by making the work permit system easier for these types of workers.
It simplifies the procedure and makes it applicable across the EU in a bid to overcome the previous scenario where member states each had their own system.
Moreover, once a worker has been granted a Blue Card the recipient can then benefit from free access to move across the EU, wherever their skills may be needed.
Coupled with preferential rules for acquiring long-term residency status and for family reunification, the scheme presents an attractive package to people who qualify.
All EU member states, except Denmark, Ireland and the UK, which have an opt-out, are bound by this directive.