The K-LA-R alliance consisting of the opposition parties Conservative, Liberal Alliance and Radikale has proposed a new strategy to attract more qualified foreign labor to Denmark.
The parties propose an approach where immigration policy and work visa requirements for non-Danish labor are separated from each other.
In addition to ensuring more employment opportunities for foreigners, the approach recommends quick and easy processing of work permits, offering the right to work to spouses and removing the legal barriers faced by companies interested in hiring more non-Danish workers.
According to the alliance, all qualified foreigners must be welcome in the Danish labor market if they can show that they can sufficiently support themselves financially during their original contract, have not committed a criminal act and comply with Danish rules and regulations.
Indispensable foreign workers
Data from Statistics Denmark confirm that the number of people of working age of Danish origin is decreasing, while the number of elderly people will have increased drastically in 2040.
In this situation, “international labor adds significant value to the Danish workforce. They make an indispensable contribution to both our companies and the public sector,” says Liberal Alliance Member of Parliament Sólbjørg Jakobsen to CPH POST.
“More foreign labor will ensure growth for companies’ companies, higher tax revenues and a positive economic effect for Denmark.”
Immigrants and their descendants make up over 900,000 of Denmark’s 5.86 million inhabitants. A recent report from the Danmarks Nationalbank claims that foreign labor contributed enormously to employment growth in the country for two reasons: the expansion of the declining Danish labor force and the reduction of overheating pressure during periods of high demand.
In the meantime, Danish workers have nothing to worry about, says Jakobsen: “There is nothing to indicate that it will reduce jobs for the Danes. If the Danish population wants two jobs, they can easily go for them, but there are not enough Danes for the available jobs.”
“System too bureaucratic”
Employers and workers are currently facing challenges that limit and delay the recruitment and retention of qualified foreign workers, Jakobsen claims.
“Companies in Denmark are stubborn. The state has no reason to stand in the way of companies attracting foreign labour. Today, they are obliged to justify themselves and give a valid reason for hiring a non-Danish person, which greatly reduces jobs for foreigners,’ she stated.
“Right now the system is far too bureaucratic. It takes some time for foreign workers to have their documents fully approved before they can start working for a company. We propose that foreigners should be allowed to start working while their documents are being processed.”
The opposition’s proposal
In order to attract more foreign labor in Denmark, the K-LA-R alliance has proposed this agenda to make employment in Denmark easier for foreign labor:
– a permanent reduction of the money limit to DKK 360,000 per year.
– removal of the requirement for salary payment to a Danish bank account.
– shorter and more flexible case processing at the Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).
– Workers with legal residence in Denmark must be able to change sectors or work without prior permission.
– Spouses of Danish citizens must be able to work and contribute while they await a response to their application for spousal reunification.
The government’s response
According to the government’s Basic Principles published in December 2022, work will be done to facilitate the hiring process for foreign workers.
The report suggests that the government will introduce a new scheme with lower amount limits for certified companies that are subject to regulated pay and working conditions. An annual quota will be set for the number of permits which give access to new labour, and the scheme must be evaluated within two years.
In addition, the government will ensure faster and more efficient case processing in SIRI and allocate funds for this as part of the Finance Act.
The entry The opposition alliance proposes a new strategy to recruit foreign labor more easily appeared first on The Copenhagen Post.
Source: The Nordic Page