BRATISLAVA, May 5, (WEBNOVINY) — As one of 31 countries evaluated in the Migrant Integration Policy Index III (MIPEX III), Slovakia did not do very well in comparison of migration policies of European and north American countries.
MIPEX examined the success of integration policies of all EU-27 member states together with Norway, Switzerland, Canada and the USA. According to the last MIPEX survey, which collected data for the past three years (until May 2010), Slovakia scored 29th of 31 countries. Slovakia ended up last together with Cyprus regarding access to the labor market. Slovakia noted the worst development in the field of acquiring citizenship. One of the reasons was the amendment to the law on state citizenship adopted in 2007, which tightens up the conditions for being granted Slovak citizenship: a foreigner asking for it must have lived in Slovakia for eight years before being eligible to apply for citizenship. Originally, living five years in Slovakia was enough. According to the project, Slovakia is thus a country with third least friendly integration index in the EU.
The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family already took its first steps for improving the situation of foreigners who wish to work in Slovakia. The essential change will be introducing a blue card for highly qualified migrants, which will be proposed in the draft amendment to the law on illegal labor and illegal employment. The criterion will be that the applicant be already accepted to a job corresponding with a highly-qualified position according to the EU. The contract must guarantee at least a 1.5-fold of the average Slovak income in respective segment; the work permit would be granted for three years.
The Labor Ministry also works on changing the text of the Concept on Foreigner Integration in Slovakia, focusing on improving the conditions for foreigners living in Slovakia and for members of their families, told SITA Labor Ministry’s Daniela Sulcova. More information on Migration Index is available at www.mipex.eu.
SITA
