European Union: Commission Launches Talent Partnerships Initiative

The European Commission’s launch of the Talent Partnerships Initiative is a key element of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which aims to align the management and normalization of long-term migration in the region. The Talent Partnerships initiative will combine labour market needs in the European Union with the skills of workers from third countries. The initiative is open to EU Member States and other interested stakeholders to suggest country or region-specific partnerships that encourage well-managed legal migration, which would be beneficial to the region. The initiative supports the Commission’s priority to replace irregular migration with legal migration pathways into the European Union. The partnerships will be available to students, graduates, and skilled workers. Funding for the initiative will be used to create education and training opportunities, provide integration support, improve the European Union’s diaspora efforts, and invest in expert analysis of employment needs. The European Union is looking at Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia as countries with which to establish the first partnerships, with the aim to launch them by the end of 2022.