Background:

The Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities has commissioned a research about the extension of labour migration in Slovenia. The aim is not only to establish the actual situation, but also to suggest legislative measures that would ensure a rapid integration for the employed third-country national (TCN) in the host country, possibly with the collaboration of the employer. In many cases, the collaboration of the employer is crucial for the integration of the employee, often by encouraging the employee to attend not only language courses but also civic integration courses.

The increase in the number of employed TCNs represents an increase in public expenditure for their integration (together with their family members). In order to manage this increase in public expenditure, Slovenia is studying the possibility that employers share the financial burden for the integration of TCNs. For this reason, Slovenia is interested in obtaining information on national regulations and practices concerning the integration of the employed/self-employed TCNs in other Member Countries.

Respondents:

23 EMN Member and Observer Countries (including BE) provided a public answer to this ad hoc query.

Findings:

A preliminary analysis of the results of the ad hoc query shows that:

• Out of the 23 responding countries, over half of them report that they encourage employers to participate in the integration of their employees. This can take different forms; the most common being encouraging participation in language courses. Several systems have been set up to facilitate this for the employers, such as voucher systems, or government-sponsored programmes that employers can enroll in. Employers can contribute to the integration of their employees by paying a share of the language course costs. Some countries, such as EE, also report providing incentives for employers to support the language training of their employees. In BE, there is no direct participation of employers in the integration of their employees; however, employers are required to inform employees about their labour rights.
   
• Only 3 responding countries report that their legislation requires employers to provide accommodation to third-country nationals entering the labour market. In NL for example, when the employer applies for a work permit, they are asked to provide information on the type of housing they will offer. In BE and most other countries, no such requirement exists, except under some specific pathways such as seasonal work or labour mobility schemes.
   
• The majority of responding countries report that in the case of self-employment, third-country nationals need a legal status in the country in order to register a company. In BE, applications to start a business require the third-country national to have both a residence permit and a so-called ‘professional card’, the conditions for which vary per region.

For further details, please read the compilation of answers attached above.