Green card scheme leads to low-skilled jobs

While an increasing number of foreign nationals apply for a work permit under the ‘green card’ scheme for highly-skilled professionals, most end up in the unemployment queue or leave the country again. This is according to Seven59.dk and b.dk.

The immigration authorities awarded 1,672 green cards during the first nine months of the year, compared to 1,215 for the whole of 2013, a potential 90 pct. increase if the trend continues. However, new figures also show that of all the green card holders who arrived in Denmark between 2010 and 2012 just 44 pct. found work, more often than not in a low paid service job in the cleaning or hotel industry.

Danish People’s Party’s integration spokesman, Martin Henriksen, said it’s time the scheme was ditched as it’s ‘madness’ to keep trying to attract specialised, foreign manpower when the majority end up in either low-skilled jobs, or unemployed.

Skilled immigrants need more help

The Liberals said it’s time to take a closer look at the scheme and see if needs amending but are against scrapping it.

A spokesman for the Danish Green Card Association urged politicians to focus less on restricting the system and more on helping skilled immigrants, possibly with intense language training, so they have more chance of getting a job.

See Danish language article here.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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