The recent attacks on academic freedom by Donald Trump have set something in motion: researchers are increasingly choosing Europe as a safe haven, universities are calling for more EU research grants, and finally, fellow politicians are speaking up about how to make Europe more attractive to international talent.
A grim trigger, but a real opportunity as well. I view this moment as a chance to reinvent the migration debate: grounded in facts, demographics, and pragmatic solutions.
Let’s look at the numbers, because they’re clear: by 2050, Europe will lose over 1 million workers every year. In sectors like healthcare, engineering, and education, shortages are already structural. If we want to achieve a green and digital transition, we need new talent – across all levels of education.
So what can we do? Reskill and upskill our current workforce, recognise qualifications, remove barriers for women to enter the labour market and attract international talent. The latter is still a challenge.
The US and Canada remain far more popular destinations. The reason for this being our fragmented migration policies: hundreds of visa types, varying national procedures, and limited EU-wide mobility. The exception? The EU Blue Card, a visa for highly skilled talent valid in 25 EU countries. Unfortunately, the Blue Card is little known.
Two weeks ago, the European Parliament took an important first step: the EU Talent Pool – a kind of job-Tinder for international talent – was adopted.
I’m proud to have worked on this tool, but now it’s time for next steps. Here’s what I’d like to see:
- Harmonisation and simplification of visa procedures
- More research grants
- Visas for recent graduates and start-ups, and other new pathways for talent
- A Make it in Europe campaign
Do you have ideas or experience to share? I’d love to hear them!