EU Losing About a Million Workers Each Year, EU Commissioner Urges to Increase Legal Migration

The EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson revealed that the working-age population in the European Union will decrease by one million per year, as reported by AP News.

Henceforth, Commissioner Johansson emphasised the necessity of increasing legal migration, during a visit in Greece on Monday, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

For demographic reasons, the population of working age in the EU will decrease by 1 million per year. It is decreasing by 1 million per year. That means that legal migration should grow by more or less 1 million per year.

Furthermore, estimates from Eurostat – the EU statistics agency – indicate that by the end of the century, the percentage of the population 65 and older will increase from 21.1 per cent in 2022 to 31.3 per cent.

Whereas the 2022 EURES report on shortages and surpluses, revealed that 29 European countries are experiencing labour shortages, and 24 countries have surplus labour. Occupations facing shortages mainly include professions in software, healthcare, construction, and engineering craft.

Johansson, along with EU Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, held meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other officials in Athens. Regarding her meeting with Greek PM Mitsotakis, she highlighted that Greece  has made positive progress in managing legal migration.

AP reported further that despite migration-related concerns contributing to the rise of far-right and anti-EU parties across Europe, Johansson argued that “poison and causing xenophobia and racism” was caused by illegal migration.

I think what our citizens are really asking us is, not how many migrants (are arriving) but if we do this in an orderly way, how we manage it, who is in control or who is coming?

Survivors of a migrant shipwreck that killed hundreds last year, participated in a small demonstration organised by Greek activist groups during these Monday’s meetings. As reported, the protest aimed to oppose stricter border and maritime policing, arguing that it puts migrants’ lives at greater risk.

Access to the area near the Ministry of Migration Affairs, where Monday’s meetings were held, was blocked by the police, with no arrests reported.

Last month, European Parliament members (MEPs) and national governments reached an agreement to Reform Asylum & Migration Policy.

Commenting on this agreement, Commissioner Johanson said back then that this pact would enhance external border protection, increase solidarity, and provide better protection for asylum seekers.