Migration Management and Labor Market Challenges in the Nordics

MOBILE invites to a seminar.

For decades Nordic immigration policies have been shaped by two formally opposing goals – on the one hand deterring irregular migrants and limiting the arrival of asylum-seekers, on the other hand, attracting and retaining highly skilled labour migrants. Since the 2000s, the political focus has overwhelmingly been on the former. Yet, in recent years labour market shortages have become an increasingly pressing issue on national agendas, and something impacting a wide range of both public and private work sectors. This has prompted both new policy proposals to attract foreign labour, but also calls to relax a number of existing rules on e.g. family reunification and immigration status transfer, originally adopted to limit unwanted migration.

This seminar brings together academic experts and key stakeholders to explore the complexities and intersections between labour migration and migration management in the context of current worker shortages in critical sectors, as well as long-term demographic ageing. Each of the Nordic countries has their own history of labour immigration, experiences that color current debates and national governments’ room to maneuver.  The seminar seeks to both better understand national differences and harness comparative insights that may inform immigration regulation in the region in the coming years. The discussion will address key questions, including:

  • What is the current situation regarding labour migration and labour market shortages in each of the Nordic countries?
  • What are the ongoing political discussions and policy proposals on labour migration regulation?
  • Is it possible to align the need for labour immigration with strict asylum policy messaging and public demands for social cohesion?

Join us as we examine the latest research and developments on how to secure necessary labour market immigration to the Nordic countries, given the current environment of overall restrictive migration regimes.

Sign up for the seminar.

Programme

13:00 - 13:15

Introduction:

  • Jan-Paul Brekke, senior research fellow, Institute for Social Research, Norway (moderator)
13:15 - 14:15

Round 1 – Nordic perspectives on labour migration:

  • Norway: Grete Brochmann, Professor, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo
  • Sweden: Henrik Malm Lindberg, Associate Professor, Deputy Head of Secretariat, The Migration Studies Delegation (DELMI)
  • Denmark: Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, Professor, Center of Excellence for Global Mobility Law, University of Copenhagen
  • Finland: Saila Heinikoski, Senior Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs
14:15 - 14:30 Break
14:30 - 15:10

Round 2 – Policy and practitioner roundtable:

An interactive panel discussion with key stakeholders shaping labour migration policies and practices.

  • Claes Nilas, External lecturer, former Head of the Danish Return Agency and Permanent Secretary, Danish Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration
  • Pawel Szalus, Labour Migration Specialist, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Denmark
  • Surbhi Avasthi, Global TAA Inclusion and Culture Partner, Maersk
  • Frauke Siemer Jørgensen, Head of Audience Engagement, Refugee Museum of Denmark
15:10 - 15:30 Open Q and A

This seminar is organised by the Nordic Institute for Migration in collaboration with the UCPH Platform for Migration Research and the MOBILE Center of Excellence