Feasibility study on the labour market trajectories of regularised immigrants within the European Union (REGANE) : final report

This report presents the results of a feasibility study on employment trajectories of regularised third country nationals in the European Union. The study aims to (1) assess the feasibility and possible design of a quantitative survey of regularised migrants in seven EU Member States, and (2) to conduct preliminary explorative research on the dynamics of labour market trajectories of regularised migrants. The study shows that regularisation remains an important policy tool in responding to the prolonged presence of migrants in an irregular situation, though approaches to regularisation vary across countries and are linked to a variety of policy goals. Preliminary results of the pilot study indicate that opportunities to escape the informal labour market and, more generally, to improve one's labour market status through regularisation are mediated by a variety of factors, including the length of residence (until regularisation), gender, the welfare system, the labour market structure (e.g. prevalence of informal labour, recognition of qualifications obtained abroad) and, finally, the migration regime. These diverse aspects reveal issues beyond just those related to employment. As the pilot study suggests, the impact of a status change is not limited to a single component, but rather affects multiple interconnected constituents.