The battle between European blue card and American green card
Tania Solanki
Jul. 30, 2009

The question now is green more green than the bluest of the blue? Both are work permits but which is more green? That depends on the economy!

For generations of Indians, the colour of hope has been green; the US green card being the most coveted ticket to a better life. But the European Union (EU) is now attempting to tint the immigrant dream another hue, by introducing its own version of the American work permit: the blue card.

India's brightest brain still is hypnotized by the American green card. But how green can that green be if the economy does not have jobs and opportunities?

In May this year, the Council of the EU officially adopted the Blue Card Directive, which participating member states now have two years to put into practice. The scheme is the end product of much hand-wringing in Europe as its population ages and economy stagnates.

The German economy, EU's main hub is several times more prosperous than that of US. That makes a big damper for the US Green card in the current economic environment. At the same token, other than the German economy, rest of Europe is very dependent on American economy. American economy is dragging down the rest of Europe.

Highly-qualified foreign workers make up only 1.7 per cent of the employed population within the EU, but the equivalent figure for Australia is nearly 10 per cent, over seven per cent in Canada and 3.2 per cent in the US. And it’s not as if Europe does not need these immigrants.

The battle between European blue card and American green card
Tania Solanki
The question now is green more green than the bluest of the blue? Both are work permits but which is more green? That depends on the economy!
READ MORE>>

Indian Software exports to fall to$38-40 billion by 2012 - a drop of more than 30%
Harish Baliga
A decline in technology spending by industrialized nations, pricing pressures, delay in demand pick up and an overall depressed economic outlook have led to the severe decline in the growth of the IT and BPO sectors.
READ MORE>>

India bans Chinese chocolates – Chinese milk products in India found contaminated with melamine
Preeti Sagar
China plans to protest to WTO but India is ready to defend its action in the world Trade body citing deliberate and repeated Chinese disregard for human safety in Chinese products.
READ MORE>>

A young Indian woman journalist, who went undercover to expose alleged migration and education scams in Australia, was threatened and punched by Aussies
Nita Halder
Shame! Shame! Shame on the racist Aussies! Now they take it on woman Indian journalist. The woman, working as a reporter with ABC TV, was followed by a group of Aussie racist hooligans near her office over the weekend.
READ MORE>>

Indian budget geared to rescue 800 slums in India's Silicon Valley
Mohan Subbarao
Approximately 60,0000 people live in these slums. The city's total population is about eight million.
READ MORE>>

MORE ARTICLES >>