As there are more voice in Europe calling for unifying rules for immigrant workers, we present an overview of the situation in some countries:

United Kingdom: 509,800 legal immigrants in 2006

• No quota
• No necessity of a contract for integration
• Family regrouping
• Necessity of a work contract (with point system)
• Language test

• No quota
• Family regrouping (with conditions)
• Necessity of a contract for integration
• Necessity of a work contract (with a list of priority sectors)
• Language test

Spain: 803,000 (the government has proceeded to a large legalisation)

• No quota
• Family regrouping (with conditions after 1 year)
• Necessity of a contract for integration

Belgium: 83,400

• No quota
• No necessity of a contract for integration
• Family regrouping (with conditions of income)

Netherlands: 67,700

• No quota
• No necessity of a contract for integration
• Family regrouping (limited to the work contract duration)
• Language test

Denmark: 23,000

• No quota
• No necessity of a contract for integration
• Family regrouping

Germany: 558,500

• No quota
• No neccessity of a contract for integration
• Language test
• Family regrouping (for contracts more than 1 year)

Italy: 181,500

• No necessity of a contract for integration
• Quota
• Family regrouping (with conditions)
• Necessity of a work contract (with conditions of income)

Source: Le Monde 8/07/08

In the European Union, illegal immigration measures are taken with a majority vote. However countries are still in charge of legal immigration rules and EU decisions can only be voted with unanimity. There is no common agreement about mass regularisation, despite EU minimum conditions for sending back clandestine.

However, since the publishing in 2005 of a report on "approche communautaire de la gestion des migrations économiques", the EU Commission has suggested to set up a Blue card, equivalent to the US Green card, that will give access to the whole EU work market.

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