New research carried out in the context of the Equality Law Clinic at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) focuses on the EU Single Permit Directive and shares concerns regarding the complexity and efficiency of the application (and renewal) procedure, the exclusion of certain categories of migrants from the scope of the Directive and the lack of protection of migrant workers from exploitation.

EMN Luxembourg launched an ad hoc query on the implementation of the Seasonal Workers Directive. More specifically, the questions focus on the possible requirement for seasonal workers to undergo a medical examination upon or before entry into the country, as well as on the national implementation of the right to equal treatment, as enshrined in Article 23(1) of said Directive.

FAIRWORK Belgium's 2022 annual report analyses inter alia the complex system of single permits. Given current practices, this system "benefits dishonest employers" according to the organisation.

EMN Slovakia launched a series of questions regarding the implementation of the revised Blue Card Directive and, more specifically, the implementation of Article 13 of said Directive regarding recognition procedures for employers.

In the Czech Republic, a marriage can, under the current legislation, only take place if both parties have legal residence on the territory. By launching this ad hoc query, the Czech National Contact Point (NCP) to the European Migration Network (EMN) wanted to know more about the existing practices in other Member Countries.

How do other EU Member States, and Georgia, recognise diplomas obtained in third countries? This ad hoc query, that Belgium launched in July 2022, focused on the (i) institutional landscape for diploma recognition throughout Europe, (ii) the role of Public Employment Services in this recognition and (iii) best practices that the responding States wanted to share regarding their diploma recognition practices, specifically in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. 20 countries answered the query.

Do Member States grant access to the labour market to family members of international students and, if so, to which family members and under which conditions? This ad hoc query launched by Belgium shows that policies and practices in this matter still vary among Member States.

EMN in cooperation with the OECD published a new inform ‘Skills Mobility Partnerships: Exploring Innovative Approaches to Labour Migration’. This inform highlights experiences by EU Member States, non-EU countries and international organisations with regards to the introduction of Skills Mobility Partnerships (SMPs), a new concept that promotes a sustainable approach to skilled migration and mobility, with the aim to build skills for the benefit of both countries of origin and destination.

For many EU countries, seasonal workers from third countries are crucial to fill temporary, cyclical labour market needs. Since the adoption of the Seasonal Workers Directive in 2016, this specific category of workers can benefit from EU-harmonised admission policies and rights concerning their entry and stay. This study provides a comparative overview of recent trends in seasonal workers coming to the EU and Belgium, and the strategies and practices related to seasonal workers from third countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the flow of migrants who planned to enter the EU and OECD countries as workers in essential sectors (e.g. health- and care- workers, hospital auxiliary staff, agricultural workers) as well as those who were residing on a temporary or renewable basis for the purpose of work in these sectors. How did EU & OECD countries respond to the need to prevent labour market shortages during the COVID-19 crisis? An answer to this and other questions can be found in the Inform.

The first EMN and OECD inform on the impact of COVID-19 in the migration area is out. The inform focuses on EU and OECD Member States responses to managing residence permits and migrant unemployment.

21 Member States provided information on national laws and practices regarding the time limits for decisions on family reunification and the consequences of exceeding these limits.