(ANSA) - Brussels, June 7 - The European Union is planning to revise its Blue Card system which allows highly-skilled non-EU citizens to work and live in member states, by abolishing national programmes and creating one unified scheme. The Blue Card directive was adopted by member states in 2009, excluding Denmark, Ireland and Britain. The revised scheme, which will also open it to refugees, is expected to lead to a positive economic impact of between 1.4 billion and 6.2 billion euros per year.
Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos presented the revised initiative to the EU parliament on Tuesday.
It aims to promote a new EU policy on legal migration, to face skills shortages and attract talent to help cope with future demographic challenges. The proposal aims to extend the scheme, for example, to Syrian refugees who could work in the EU based on their skills and education, filling vacancies.
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi's late-April proposal of a Migration Compact to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker "was an important contribution to the Migration Plan presented today, Rome and Brussels saw eye to eye," Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told ANSA after the Commission issued its migrant Plan Tuesday. "I worked very well with High Representative Federica Mogherini", he added. The Plan takes up Italian proposals on helping African countries of migrant origin and transit in exchange for processing and resettlement deals. The first seven countries tapped to be involved are reportedly Ethiopia, Eritrea, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Lebanon and Jordan.