Single-Permit Directive: SOLIDAR welcomes a vote to improve work permit rules for migrant workers
On 13th March, Members of the European Parliament adopted the political agreement for a recast Single-Permit Directive. The text proposes important improvements to migrant workers’ lives and working conditions that were pushed by Civil Society Organisations (including SOLIDAR) and Trade Unions.
As the situation stands now, single-permit holders willing to leave their employer may have to submit an application for a new permit and risk losing their residency status, along which their housing and everything else they have built in that country.
With the changes adopted yesterday, single-permit holders will instead be able to change employers – both the occupation and the sector – on the same permit, with a simple notification from the employer, a considerable improvement.
‘’This outcome means migrant workers will be able to change jobs if they need or want to, without having to apply for a new permit and without losing their residency right”, says Mikael Leyi, Secretary General of SOLIDAR. ‘’We welcome this very important step to reduce the dependency to a particular job, which enables situations of labour exploitation and impedes professional development.’’
Likewise, SOLIDAR welcomes that permits will not be withdrawn for three months in the case of unemployment, and for another three months in case of exploitative working conditions. We are however alarmed by the fact that Member States were able to secure a minimum period of six months during which changing employer would not be possible.
While final approval from Member States is still pending, this should be a formality and the revised Directive should enter into force in the coming weeks. The next steps for SOLIDAR will be to monitor the transposition and implementation of the directive at national level to make sure migrants’ rights are respected and continue the fight for quality work and residence permits that foster social inclusion and equal treatment.
