The international seminar on “Labour shortages between demography and migration: European workers' organisations' responses” organisations’ was held in Barcelona, Spain from 30 January to 2 February 2025, organised by FIDESTRA (Associação para a Formação, Investigação e Desenvolvimento Social dos Trabalhadores (Association for Workers' Training, Research and Social Development)) in collaboration with IPCM (International Platform for Collaboration and Migration), in collaboration with EZA and funded by the European Union. 62 representatives of workers’ organisations from 15 European countries attended the seminar.
To achieve the objectives, the seminar aimed to explore the realities in terms of migration of the participating countries and to create networks of workers' organisations to tackle the shared and jointly responsible management of immigration. Key factors were the exchange of good practices, in particular to combat human trafficking, illegal immigration networks responsible for disrupting the labour market and for exploiting workers and human trafficking and to assess the demographic situation and its consequences for employment, with particular emphasis on the employment of young people, women, migrants and the most vulnerable social groups. The aim is to create confidence among Europeans that immigration is being managed effectively and humanely, in full compliance with our values and international law. FIDESTRA was joined in the debate by immigrant associations, workers' organisations, national and European politicians, regional bodies and academia and research, including the Abat Oliba CEU University.
The event was kicked off with a keynote speech by Aquilino Cayuela, Professor of Moral and Political Philosophy, who presented an overview of the ‘politics of recognition’ of identities. He stated that our cultures have different identities and warned of the issue of rejection of one or the other which could lead to barbarism, and this is why the issue of migration is so important today.
Europe faces major challenges in terms of demographics and the labour market. An ageing population and low birth rates in many European countries are leading to a decline in the working-age population, which puts pressure on social security systems and economic sustainability.
Immigration is therefore now essential, but the integration of migrants into the European labour market is fraught with challenges. Issues such as the recognition of qualifications, language barriers and discrimination can be obstacles to achieving the full participation of migrants. European workers' organisations play a major role in promoting inclusive policies that are designed to increasingly guarantee the labour and social rights of migrants.
The various organisations attending the event were responsible for social dialogue with the new European workers, and different views were presented on social relations with the new influx of migrant workers, highlighting the specific situation in each country. However, all agreed on the need for a European migration policy.
We all acknowledge that immigration is a crucial response to the effects of labour shortages. According to Eurostat, the European Union saw a net increase of c. 1.5 million people in 2023 due to immigration, who will contribute to the replacement of workers in key sectors such as health, construction, technology and services. In the short term, it is anticipated that over 60% of the European population will consist of non-Europeans. This reality forces us to think seriously about the future of Europe.
Migrants must be welcomed into the country in a humane manner, and workers' organisations must be vigilant and detect any illegal networks and human trafficking. However, we must also encourage immigrants to accept the culture of the country they are entering.
Migrants have rights, but they must not forget that they also have responsibilities. Legal immigration is very important and welcome in every country, both for demographic reasons and to ease labour shortages in certain sectors.
It is vital that political power addresses the issue of migration and the labour market, as migration has become an extremely heated and divisive political issue within the EU. We must remember that the migration caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine now represents the largest exodus in Europe.
Solutions/approaches:
Topics such as population ageing, migration and the integration of immigrants into the labour market should be a focus of study and action by the workers' organisations in the EZA network.
Two important pillars, demographic and economic, feature in the issue of migration and have political implications that affect stability in Europe.
We must therefore do the following:
- Involve local, national and European politicians in this debate and in the implementation of practical measures in terms of migration policy
- Raise awareness among the host population
- Promote learning with a focus on the mother tongue of the host country
- Provide legal support
- Ensure fair wages
- Eliminate the mechanisms that prevent qualified persons from practising their profession based on their training and qualifications, and improve technology as a welcoming tool.
- Recognise the unprecedented situation in the Mediterranean.
The measures implemented must not be exclusively European, i.e. the cooperation trajectory must be present and active.
To sum up, labour shortages and immigration are clearly not only challenges but also opportunities for Europe. We require a well-structured policy that combines economic needs with social protection and the effective integration of migrant workers.
The question is not whether Europe needs immigration – that much is already obvious. The real question is: How can we ensure that any immigration is organised, fair and is of benefit to all. The way forward lies in the commitment of governments, businesses, workers' organisations and civil society to a response that promotes international politics and social and inter-cultural dialogue.
It is recommended that the EU and the beneficiary countries maintain a strong identity to avoid a sense of insecurity. A combination of moral values, laws and pacts with common consensus are advised faced with immigration and diversity. Focus on people and boost the birth rate, and always bear in mind that the notion of ‘eternal peace’ is in crisis.