The EU loses about a million workers per year due to aging. Migration official urges legal options
The European Union’s top official for migration says member states will have to confront tough policy challenges to cope with the continent’s aging population
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The European Union’s top official for migration said Monday that member states will have to confront tough policy challenges — even in the current election year – to cope with the continent’s aging population.
Ylva Johansson, the EU home affairs commissioner, said there was a pressing need to shift away from illegal migration and find more legitimate alternatives.
“For demographic reasons, the population of working age in the EU will decrease by 1 million per year. It is decreasing by 1 million per year,” Johansson said on a visit to Greece. “That means that legal migration should grow by more or less 1 million per year. And that is really a challenge.”
The EU Commission is trying to finalize an EU-wide overhaul of migration rules before the end of its term and European Parliament elections in June. A preliminary agreement was reached last month.
