engleski

Breaking the Migration Stereotypes: Access to the EU Labour Market for Skilled Female Migrant Entrepreneurs

The EU common migration policy towards third country nationals frequently references a need to attract highly skilled migrants. Still, the reference to strategies and policies for facilitation of access to the EU labour market for self-employed highly skilled migrants is largely absent. National migration policies of Member States do include entry schemes for investors, but very limited, if any, for self-employed migrants. In that context, it is tacitly implied that migrant entrepreneurs are principally men. Female migrants from third countries are usually expected to accept jobs in service and care sectors, regardless of the level of education and skills. In spite of all odds, foreign female entrepreneurs are putting all EU gender and employment equality policies to the test when applying for permits to enter the EU labour market. Professional women in search for foreign self-employment opportunities might successfully circumvent a likelihood of multiple migration-related discrimination by employer or co-workers (on grounds of gender, nationality, race, migration status), but they are also confronted with numerous legal and administrative obstacles specific only for self-employed migrants. Upon admission to the EU and permission to exercise self-employment, skilled female entrepreneurs have to deal with inequality of labour and social rights compared to dependant workers, limited access to certain services in the country of employment, additional requirements for maintenance of the status and more complicated residence regime than other migrant workers. The paper examines the EU migration policies towards admission of highly skilled female entrepreneurs and compares them to the entry policies of traditionally successful migration countries like Canada and Australia. We argue that the EU common migration policy needs additional legal instrument aimed at facilitation of entry and integration of female migrant entrepreneurs to the EU labour market. This instrument should harmonize labour and social rights of female entrepreneurs across the EU.

Highly skilled migrants; female entrepreneurs; EU migration law

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