IMF proposes prickly solutions for Europe's refugee 'challenges'

[webfact]

IMF proposes prickly solutions for Europe’s refugee ‘challenges’
By Adrian Lancashire | With EURACTIV, THE GUARDIAN, REUTERS



"We have no more than two months to get things under control."

Question of survival
How can Europe survive mounting refugee pressures?

A study by the IMF presented in Davos, Switzerland, has proposed that the countries of Europe suspend some of their existing rules and turn to creative new solutions. Others add: ‘before it’s too late’.

The International Monetary Fund recommendations include:
allowing asylum-seekers to take jobs while waiting for a country’s official approval to stay;
governments paying employers part of refugees’ wages to get them into work as soon as possible;
and even suspending certain rules on minimum salaries. And it has to happen fast.

The EU in jeopardy
Last week, EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos warned: “The situation is getting worse.”
He said the refugee crisis is jeopardising “the very core of the European Union”.

The report under scrutiny at the World Economic Forum in Davos is entitled ‘The Refugee Surge in Europe: Economic Challenges’.

Slight short-term growth, future uncertain
Although Avramopoulos, when he spoke at the European Parliament, offered no grounds to be optimistic, the IMF document says that refugees should actually boost European economic growth over the short term. However, the IMF adds that the refugees’ longer-term impact will depend on efforts to integrate them: “Quick labour market integration can unlock the potential economic benefits of the refugee inflow.” The study says this would minimise the risk of social exclusion while maximising newcomers’ net contributions to public finances in the longer term.

Public perception on jobs highly sensitive
‘The Refugee Surge in Europe: Economic Challenges’ focuses solely on economic impact, but also acknowledges grave concerns over the immigration effect on job markets in a period of already elevated unemployment. Previous arrivals of many migrants, on the other hand, have not had a very substantial impact on opportunities for native workers. The difference today is that the newcomers are not all generally low-qualified, such as in past surges; many of the Syrian refugees are well-educated, with one-fifth reporting having tertiary educations.

The study says: “International experience with economic immigrants suggests [they] have lower employment rates and wages than natives, though these differences diminish over time.” The factors which tend to slow integration include a lack of language skills and transferable job qualifications. Another key suggestion is to allow the refugees to move to places where opportunities to work are highest.

Borders open or closed?
European political and social realities, however, are pushing against this, with conservative or nationalistic reactions insisting that borders be more tightly controlled. The risks posed by any substantial alteration of EU border policies have high level figures in Berlin and Brussels expressing their concern extremely seriously.

A few days ago, Donald Tusk, the European Council president, warned that the EU must secure its borders or see the Schengen zone collapse: “We have no more than two months to get things under control.”

Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, last week said asylum seekers should be allowed to work while their claims are processed for the good of social cohesion. At present, states can enforce a nine-month ban on work for refugees.

All sorts of unpleasant things
Juncker said: “If people are sitting at home for months and years, idle and not working, they are never going to be able to become a fully valued member of Europe society. That is important if we want to protect ourselves from all sorts of unpleasant things.”

Both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Juncker have explicitly linked new national frontier controls across Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone to a collapse of the single market at the core of the EU bloc, and of the euro currency.

Such a collapse would create major economic disruptions, and perhaps the end of Europe as we know it.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-22

[NeverSure]

"...and perhaps the end of Europe as we know it".

That's already happened. You're just waiting to see the end result because you were too blind to see it coming.

[wabothai]

"As we know it" I know how Europe used to be before the "capital" got a hold of it. It was a pleasant place to be with all the borders in tact. Very few want Europe "as we know it". Fools !!

[Baerboxer]

"...and perhaps the end of Europe as we know it".

That's already happened. You're just waiting to see the end result because you were too blind to see it coming.

"Too blind to see it" for some, part of the "plan" for others.

Why not simply stop the migrants. Return all who are simply economic illegal immigrant chancers to their own country, return all young single able bodied males, and then examine families to determine if they are genuine refugees with genuine dangers if returned.

IMF are tossers, headed by French tossers, who never seem far from scandals. Now they want to spend money dealing with symptoms rather than reducing the cause.

Cameron is a prat, but he's right when he say's that the issues should be deal with in their own countries not Europe.

[connda]

"Hi, I'm from the IMF and I'm here to help!"

The International Monetary Fund recommendations include:
allowing asylum-seekers to take jobs while waiting for a country’s official approval to stay;
governments paying employers part of refugees’ wages to get them into work as soon as possible;
and even suspending certain rules on minimum salaries. And it has to happen fast.

Translation: "Bankrupt your countries, turn your backs on your own citizen, take loans from the IMF, turn your country into Greece, take out more loans from the IMF to pay the interest on your overdue loans which bankrupted your country, rinse, repeat...."

My personal perception of the IMF and banks associated with it is summed up by Matt Taibibi:

"[A] great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money"
-- Matt Taibibi in describing international bank Goldman Saches¹

¹ Taibbi, Matt (July 13, 2009). "The Great American Bubble Machine". Rolling Stone

[Steely Dan]

Juncker said.

Juncker said: “If people are sitting at home for months and years, idle and not working, they are never going to be able to become a fully valued member of Europe society. That is important if we want to protect ourselves from all sorts of unpleasant things.”

I would observe that running something akin to effective border control from the off would have done a far better job at protecting us from the unpleasant things he mentioned.

P.s Its quite hilarious looking at the politicians pretending there will actually be an economic stimulus from armies of illiterate males who hate our culture, except for a boost to gun sales, burglar or personal security alarms.

[arjunadawn]

Create problem, provide solution. Its so patently obvious that there is treason afoot.

[billd766]

Whilst it is nice to know that some, but not all of the refugees are well qualified and even have tertiary education which may allow them to obtain jobs locally, will they also have the reading, writing and language skills of the country that they end up in as well?

If the said refugees do end up getting jobs what will happen to the people of that country when jobs go to refugees and there is nothing available for the local people? Will they in turn become economic refugees in their own country or perhaps they should go to Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and claim asylum.

Can you see those countries opening their borders and welcoming hundred of thousands of western refugees with no money and no passports? Giving them a place to live for free and money to live on and the chance to bring their relatives over too? These refugees will not be able to speak the local language, have no religion in common, will demand that churches be built for them, that their culture be respected, that their own laws must apply, that their dietary conditions be permitted and the right to drink alcohol and eat pork freely.

Can you imagine what would happen if a crown of young men hassled, abused and raped local women?

That is what the refugees in the EU want, expect and demand, so what is the difference between the refugees in the EU and the hypothetical ones I have described?

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed. The topic is about Europe.

[MaeJoMTB]

"The International Monetary Fund recommendations include:

allowing asylum-seekers to take jobs while waiting for a countrys official approval to stay;

governments paying employers part of refugees wages to get them into work as soon as possible;

and even suspending certain rules on minimum salaries. And it has to happen fast."

That would .........

Make locals unemployable,

Because the immigrants will be cheaper than the locals.

How about,

Giving immigrants nothing at all, until they go back home or die of starvation/exposure.

[sunnyjim5]

The EU should request assistance from the Australian Navy.

They know how to stop/turn around boats.

[Chicog]

This is how one European country deals with this problem.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1453558765.308693.jpg

Well no it isn't I'm afraid. It's as real as this one:

[nontabury]

This is how one European country deals with this problem.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1453558765.308693.jpg

Well no it isn't I'm afraid. It's as real as this one:

Re post 9, what has this to do with Europe?