No C 343/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 12.84 
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on migrant workers 
(84/C 343/07) 
On 26 and 27 January 1983 the Economic and Social Committee, acting under the 
fourth paragraph of Article 20 of its Rules of Procedure, decided to draw up an 
opinion on migrant workers. 
The Section for Social Questions, which was responsible for preparing the Com­
mittee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 11 October 1984. The rapporteur 
was Mr Dassis. 
At its 220th plenary session (meeting of 25 October 1984) the Economic and Social 
Committee adopted the following opinion by 56 votes to four, with 23 abstentions: 
1. Introduction 
In a European Community of some 272 million per­
sons, about one worker in every 20 is a migrant 
worker. Most of these migrants come from third 
countries, although a quarter (or one worker in 80) 
come from Member States. Migrant workers make 
up about 4 % of the total workforce (6 million; if 
their families are included the total number of 
immigrants in the EEC is approximately 17 million). 
Over recent years the Committee has issued several 
opinions on the fundamental principles of migrant 
policy; but, aware of the worsening of the problems 
now facing migrants in the midst of the current 
economic crisis (one result of which is the stabiliza­
tion of the rate of immigration and taking into 
account the fact that the number of clandestine 
workers has increased), the Committee decided on 
its own initiative to draw up this opinion. 
The Committee realizes that several of the points 
dealt with in this opinion do not fall directly within 
the remit of the Community institutions. However, 
such questions must be examined in any overall 
approach to the problems of migrant workers and 
they also have to be considered in view of the Com­
munity's duty to foster greater cooperation in this 
field. 
The Committee notes the revival of Community 
interest in the situation of migrant workers (memo­
randum of the Italian Government, prospect of 
drawing up an action programme to help migrant 
workers, report on the implementation of the Direc­
tive on the education of the children of migrant 
workers, etc.). The Committee considers that this revival of interest should unblock issues held in 
abeyance for too long and lead to a stricter applica­
tion of existing Community rules. 
Furthermore, the Committee is not unaware that the 
measures being taken by some Member States have 
the same goals as the proposals made in this 
opinion. 
2. Current problems 
Anxious to meet their labour requirements, many 
countries recruited immigrant workers without giv­
ing sufficient thought to the problems which could 
emerge later. 
The consequences of the inadequacy of the various 
policies on migrant workers are manifest today. To 
mention but a few examples: 
— the concentration of immigrants in certain jobs 
and economic sectors forsaken by nationals and 
often with arduous and unhealthy working con­
ditions, 
-— the social and political marginalization of immi­
grants obliged to live in a society without really 
becoming part of it, 
— the industrial countries, having had at their dis­
posal a huge potential foreign workforce willing 
to be employed under any conditions, did not 
— in certain industries at least — attach the 
proper importance to improving working condi­
tions and productivity, directly linked with the 
introduction and development of new technolo­
gies, 
— there are a great many middle-aged — above all 
unskilled — immigrant workers who have lost 
their jobs and have little prospect of finding 
24. 12. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 343/29 
new ones; other workers could find themselves 
in the same situation, 
— in most major European cities there are acute 
housing problems with concentrations of immi­
grants in certain districts which have been aban­
doned by the local population, 
— a worsening climate of xenophobia, racism and 
insecurity, 
— the high failure rate of second generation chil­
dren in basic education, 
— a growing number of illegal immigrant workers. 
3. Proposal for a common policy 
3.1.1. Joint action is the best way to tackle com­
mon problems. The difficulties which migrant work­
ers face in all the Member States and the problems 
which they raise call for a Community response, one 
of the key features of which should be the series of 
measures proposed in this opinion. 
3.1.2. Freedom of movement of EEC migrant 
workers 
The exercise of the right of freedom of movement 
(and equality of treatment) in the European Com­
munity — a right embodied in the EEC Treaty — 
could be improved by: 
— full implementation by all the Member States of 
EEC regulations; compliance with the decisions 
of the European Court of Justice, 
— joint recognition of vocational and educational 
qualifications throughout the Community; here 
the Committee would point to its recent support 
for the proposal for a Council Decision on the 
comparability of vocational training qualifica­
tions between the Member States of the Euro­
pean Community, 
— greater flexibility, to lengthen the period which 
unemployed EEC citizens can spend job-hunt­
ing in other Member States without losing enti­
tlement to normal social security benefits, 
— equal rights for young unemployed EEC 
citizens who have never had a job, 
(') Doc. COM: OJ No C 264, 4. 10. 1983, p. 5. 
Opinion ESC: Doc. 1983 — OJ No C 35, 9.2. 1984, 
p. 12. — speeding up the introduction of a Community 
passport and full implementation of the mea­
sures providing for a Community driving lic­
ence, 
— simplifying and harmonizing administrative 
immigration procedures, accompanied by 
explanatory notes which are comprehensible to 
the general public. 
It should be added that the ESC has already in the 
past stated that the Community policy of free move­
ment can only succeed if it is accompanied by a 
vigorous employment policy which, with the help of 
the Social Fund, enables workers to gear their skills 
more to the requirements of the jobs market. 
3.1.3. Immigration from third countries 
The employment situation in the EEC Member 
States means that immigration from third countries 
is strictly limited to the families of immigrants 
already established in one of the Member States. 
At the same time draconian measures must be taken 
rapidly at Community level to combat clandestine 
employment and the illicit traffic in immigrant 
labour. In this respect we would refer to a recent 
ESC study on ACP migrant workers and their fami­
lies residing in the EEC which makes the following 
points: 
— the draft Directive of November 1976, revised in 
April 1978, on the combating of illegal migra­
tion and illegal employment must be unblocked 
in the Council of Ministers, 
— it is necessary to encourage a genuine coordina­
tion of Member States' policies on migration 
from third countries, the long-term objective 
being the conclusion of agreements at Com­
munity level. These agreements will have to 
cover all aspects of the entry, establishment and 
social security of migrant workers (except their 
free movement in EEC territory). 
We cannot avoid mention here of the need to 
resolve the problems raised by the clause in the 1961 
EEC-Turkey agreement which provides for the free 
movement of Turkish workers from December 1986. 
Under present circumstances the Committee does 
No C 343/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 12. 84 
not see how this clause could be applied since it 
would lead to a steep rise in the number of unem­
ployed in the EEC and a deterioration in the condi­
tions under which immigrant workers legally estab­
lished in the EEC Member States live. 
The economic disparities between nations and 
regions, which are the primary cause of illegal or 
enforced immigration, also need to be tackled with 
more vigour and commitment. In this connection 
the Committee has already stated that workers 
should not be forced to emigrate by economic con­
straints; jobs should primarily be created where 
labour is available. The Community should take 
appropriate action, through its industrial, agricul­
tural and social policies, and through development 
aid, to control migration trends. 
A common EEC policy on the residence status of 
third-country migrants is evidently needed. Such a 
policy should — as stressed in a previous ESC Opi­
nion — ensure that 'all workers from third countries 
who have been working in the Community for a cer­
tain length of time and who want to stay here 
should be given the chance to remain in the host 
country' ('). This residence right should be granted 
regardless of the final employment situation of the 
migrants concerned. Bilateral agreements between 
the EEC and third country governments facilitating 
the issue of work permits for immigrants already 
legally established should also be promoted with 
more vigour. 
3.1.4. As far as special groups are concerned, grea­
ter effort should be made to monitor and resolve the 
particular problems of frontier workers. The Com­
mittee welcomes the decision taken by the Council 
on the Commission's proposal for preventing dou­
ble taxation, already supported by the ESC (2). 
The type of seasonal work carried out by immigrants 
is indefensible in so far as this group of workers is 
(') Opinion of the ESC on social developments in the 
Community in 1981 (OJ No C 252, 27. 9. 1984, p. 39). 
(2) Opinion of the ESC: December 1976 (OJ No C 56, 
7. 3. 1977, p. 70). Opinion of the ESC: October 1980 
(OJ No C 331, 17. 12. 1980, p. 15). often the victim of discrimination as regards social 
security and sometimes working conditions. 
3.1.5. In so far as the Member States of the Euro­
pean Community grant asylum on humanitarian 
grounds to refugees persecuted in their homeland 
for their political, religious or philosophical beliefs, 
it is necessary to speed up the procedures for recog­
nizing the status of political refugee; this will make 
it easier for these refugees to enter the labour 
market. 
3.2. Integration of immigrants 
3.2.1. The creation and development of special 
reception centres for immigrants and their families 
when they first arrive is a necessary part of fostering 
their integration into the society in which they live 
and work. The tasks of these reception centres 
would include: 
— teaching them the common language of the 
country, 
— informing immigrants about their rights and 
acquainting them with the social security and 
education systems, possible accommodation, 
etc., 
— enabling them to become involved and inte­
grated in the social and cultural life of the host 
country, while giving them the opportunity to 
preserve their own culture, 
— helping them in their dealings with the auth­
orities. 
3.2.2. The employment and working conditions of 
immigrant workers and their integration in firms 
could be improved by: 
— ratification by all the Member States, and effec­
tive implementation, of the European Conven­
tion on the legal status of migrant workers and 
ILO Conventions 97 and 143; implementation 
without delay of the Community social action 
plan to aid migrant workers, 
— better access to information through the inclu­
sion among reception staff of persons of the 
same ethnic origin as the immigrants or speak­
ing their mother tongue, 
— measures against discrimination at work, 
24. 12. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 343/31 
— the full exercise of trade union rights, including 
voting rights and eligibility for the various bod­
ies representing workers, 
— better protection of frontier workers employed 
by temporary work agencies, 
— tougher measures against the exploitation of 
migrant workers by clandestine employment 
networks. 
3.2.3. Integration in the field of housing, in parti­
cular for migrants from third countries, should be 
furthered by the following measures: 
— ending all discrimination as regards access to 
public authority housing, 
— setting up a European Housing Fund (EHF) 
which could be run on the same lines as the 
ESF with the aim of subsidizing, subject to cer­
tain predetermined conditions, renovation work 
in areas inhabited almost exclusively by immi­
grants, i.e. ghettoes. In tandem with this the 
Member States must all set up National Hous­
ing Funds for: 
(a) subsidizing improvements to individual 
dwellings; 
(b) granting low-interest loans for the same pur­
pose; 
(c) carrying out, in conjunction with the local 
authorities, competent ministeries and EHF, 
renovation work in areas being abandoned 
by nationals, at the same time ensuring that 
this work does not lead to the departure of 
the original occupants of these areas. 
All of these measures apply both to migrant workers 
and to nationals living under the same social condi­
tions. 
3.2.4. Measures to improve the training and educa­
tion of migrant workers should include: 
— the promotion of closer vocational training and 
qualification standardization throughout the 
Community in order to reduce the mismatching 
of training, education and skills. In 1980 such 
mismatching resulted in less than 10 % of place­
ments being secured for 25 000 jobs made avail­
able on a Community-wide basis through the 
SEDOC clearing system, despite the fact that 
18 000 job-seekers were looking for such work, — a special effort to adapt the labour force to the 
new technologies and to changes in employ­
ment in declining sectors, 
— the organization of free courses in the language 
spoken in the immigrant's place of residence 
and work. These courses should be organized 
systematically (at the workplace, in evening 
classes, on television, etc.) so that all immi­
grants are equipped linguistically for vocational 
retraining, should this prove necessary. The suc­
cess of such programmes also depends on the 
special skills of the teaching staff who, apart 
from professional knowledge, must be sensitive 
to the problems of migrant workers. Such staff 
could be recruited from the immigrant popula­
tion, from among those whose basic training 
qualifies them to teach. 
3.2.5. In addition to the problems facing young 
people in general in the Community, young immi­
grants of under 25 — representing 40 to 50 % of the 
total foreign population — are also engaged in a 
search for their cultural identity, divided as they are 
between the cultural world of their parents (some­
thing which the school is often unaware of or looks 
down on) and their present social environment. This 
inner conflict may not only take the form of a con­
flict between generations, but may also lead to per­
sonal disorientation, anxiety and social isolation. 
To help second generation immigrants, and ensure 
equality of opportunity, the following measures 
should be taken as a matter of urgency: 
— adoption by all Member States of the measures 
required to apply Directive 77/486/EEC on the 
education of the children of migrant workers 
and its extension to the children of non-EEC 
migrant workers, 
— introduction of special pre-school instruction 
for young immigrants so as to help them with 
their subsequent education (at the moment 
100 000 children of immigrants leave school 
each year without any paper qualifications), 
— special educational programmes for immigrants, 
such as those already sponsored by the ESF 
with the help of CEDEFOP, these programmes 
could include reception and remedial classes, 
No C 343/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 12. 84 
— an end to all discrimination in official employ­
ment agencies and an increase in the number of 
staff in these organizations conversant with the 
problems of immigrants, 
— more social workers in the public services with 
the training to provide immigrants with ade­
quate information on social legislation and the 
social security system, 
— the introduction of a dual system for teaching 
second generation children their mother tongue: 
1. integration of the teaching of the mother 
tongue into the normal school curriculum, 
2. organization of special courses in the 
mother tongue of immigrants outside the 
normal school curriculum. 
There should be special courses in foreign languages 
for all pupils, taking into account, of course, the 
particular situation in each country. 
Since a not inconsiderable number of immigrants 
plan ultimately to return to their own country, 
courses should be run not only in the mother tongue 
but also exclusively to teach immigrants about their 
country of origin. Such programmes, run systemati­
cally and in parallel, will enable the immigrant to 
make his choice as to whether he intends to remain 
permanently in the host country or not. 
However, the Committee considers that the special 
programmes outlined above should not replace any 
of the courses normally followed in the host coun­
try, but be coordinated with such courses without 
overstraining the participants. In addition, the 
teachers running these courses, even when they are 
paid by the country of origin, should be responsible 
to a joint committee made up of representatives of 
the country of origin and the host country. This 
would prevent the courses given by teachers from 
the country of origin from clashing with the consti­
tution and democratic institutions of the host coun­
try. 
3.2.6. Special attention should be paid to the prob­
lems of women immigrants who have settled in the 
EEC either because they have followed their hus­
bands or because they have emigrated on their own 
initiative. 
Strenuous efforts will have to be made inter alia: 
— in the field of education and vocational training 
and in implementing equal treatment in 
employment and at the workplace, — to see that family planning centres provide ser­
vices geared to the needs of immigrant women, 
— to encourage women immigrants to participate 
more fully in cultural life. 
3.2.7. Host countries should ensure that immi­
grants are able to practice and maintain the cultural 
traditions of their country of origin. Naturally this 
should not prejudice the efforts which must be made 
to familiarize immigrants with the way of life of the 
host country. At the same time, to facilitate mutual 
understanding, the host country must be made 
aware of the cultural traditions of its immigrants; 
such an exchange would enrich the cultural life of 
both immigrants and nationals. Among the mass 
media, radio and television can play an important 
role in this respect, providing cultural broadcasts 
addressed to both the immigrant and local popula­
tion. 
3.2.8. The Community has a vast and complex set 
of social security rules. Taking into account the var­
ious bilateral conventions concluded between the 
Member States and third countries, the problems 
facing immigrant workers from these countries are 
even more daunting. 
As a first step Community-level initiatives should be 
taken to align and improve social security in the fol­
lowing sectors: 
— payment of family allowances, 
— unemployment benefits, 
— regulations governing retirement and the calcu­
lation of pensions, 
— aggregation of periods of insurance completed 
in the Member States and in the country of ori­
gin, and transfer of benefits to the latter, 
— social security for the self-employed, 
— opportunities for reintegration (cf. point 3.3). 
As a second step, involving the bilateral conven­
tions which the Member States conclude or revise 
with third countries, an effort will have to be made 
to introduce, at some point in the future, a Com­
munity model for bilateral social security conven­
tions. 
24. 12. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 343/33 
Finally, special efforts must be made to ensure that 
national and local authorities are better informed 
about national and Community provisions concern­
ing social security for migrant workers. 
3.2.9. Special priority must be accorded to the pol­
itical and civic rights of immigrants. If immigrants 
do not enjoy the democratic rights of every citizen, 
responsible involvement and integration in the host 
country becomes difficult if not impossible. 
For a citizen to be able to express himself freely in a 
society which professes to be democratic, he must 
not be under any threat, not even a potential threat. 
Greater commitment must be shown by the EEC 
and the individual Member States in order to avoid 
acts of racism and xenophobia. Such a commitment 
could be expressed in a radio and television infor­
mation campaign and the setting up of a Com­
munity network of 'complaints offices'. Hence it is 
above all the right of residence of immigrants and 
their families legally established in a Member State 
which must be guaranteed. 
There is a pressing need to study the following ques­
tions in order to establish, step by step, a uniform 
procedure for acquiring equal political and civic 
rights: 
— after how many years' residence should immi­
grants be entitled to a permanent residence per­
mit? 
— after how many years' residence should immi­
grants be entitled to vote and hold office at 
regional and municipal level? 
— what should be the criteria for naturalization in 
the host country? 
Is there not a need to facilitate the naturalization of 
second generation immigrants? Such arrangements 
should not, however, be mandatory. 
In view of the urgency of the problem and the possi­
bility of Community harmonization in this field, the 
Committee considers, on the basis of existing legal 
studies and the many symposia held on this subject, 
that a period of five years for the acquisition of such 
rights could be proposed to the Member States. A first step in this direction would be to recommend 
that each Member State grant the right to vote to 
migrants who are nationals of an EEC Member 
State, so that every citizen of the Community is 
gradually entitled to vote in national elections, start­
ing with the right to vote in local elections. 
In the specific case of the elections for the European 
Parliament, the Member States could agree to allow 
Community migrants to vote in the country in which 
they live. 
3.3. Opportunities for reintegration 
Any policy for the return and reintegration of immi­
grants in their country of origin must be based on 
the principle of free choice. Thus no pressure of any 
kind must be put on immigrants. 
Furthermore, so that the immigrant can make such a 
choice, he must first have full and accurate informa­
tion so as to be able to evaluate the consequences of 
such a decision. 
A policy for the reintegration of migrant workers 
should comprise the following basic features: 
— cooperation between the States concerned on a 
bilateral or multilateral basis, 
— agreements with third countries on the recogni­
tion of diplomas, 
— Community action, for example in the form of 
financial aid for training in preparation for 
return, 
— development aid programmes comprising job-
creating investment in immigrants' countries of 
origin, 
— the provision of technical and economic assist­
ance for groups of immigrants who want to set 
up firms or cooperatives in their own countries, 
— the creation and implementation of vocational 
training programmes in the host country in 
keeping with the social and economic needs of 
immigrants' countries of origin and in collabor­
ation with the latter, 
— social security entitlements to be preserved and 
transferred, 
— the right to return to the country of immigration 
during the year following the date of departure. 
No C 343/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 12. 84 
In conclusion, the Committee is of the view that no 
reintegration policy can fully succeed if the blatant 
inequalities between the industrialized countries 
and the countries of origin of immigrants are not 
reduced. 
Done at Brussels, 25 October 1984. 
1. General comments 
1.1. Subject to the following reservations the Com­
mittee endorses the Commission's two proposals for 
Directives. 
1.2. The Committee notes that these two proposals 
seek to implement the principles embodied in the 
first and second consumer protection and informa­
tion programmes. 
(i) OJN0C8,13.1.1984. 
(2) OJ No C 53, 24. 2. 1984. Within the Community itself any reintegration 
policy must be backed up by a coordinated regional 
policy, with substantially better funding, so as to 
establish a balance between the various regions of 
the Community. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
1.3. It agrees that it would be useful to introduce 
rules in this area in order to: 
— improve consumer protection, making it easier 
for the consumer to compare prices and quanti­
ties at the time of pruchase, 
— to enhance market transparency. 
1.4. The Committee would confirm its support in 
this connection for the 1978 Committee opinion on 
consumer protection in respect of the indication of 
prices for foodstuffs, which urged the Commission 
to make preparations, as soon as possible, for Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on consumer protection in respect of the 
indication of prices for non-food products (') and the proposal for a Council Directive 
amending Directive 79/581 /EEC on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of 
foodstuffs (2) 
(84/C 343/08) 
On 17 January and 10 February 1984 the Council decided to consult the Economic 
and Social Committee, under Article 100 of the Treaty establishing the European 
Community, on the proposal for a Council Directive on consumer protection in res­
pect of the indication of prices for non-food products and the proposal for a Council 
Directive amending Directive 79/581/EEC on consumer protection in the indication 
of the prices of foodstuffs, respectively. 
The Section for Protection of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Affairs, 
which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its 
opinion on 2 October 1984 in the light of the report of Mr Ramaekers. 
At its 220th plenary session (meeting of 25 October 1984), the Economic and Social 
Committee adopted the following opinion by 60 votes to two with 13 abstentions: