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This study provides an overview of the situation of immigrants in the European Union (EU), by focusing on the process of their integration and its impact on the labour market. Section one provides information on the scale of the migration phenomenon, focusing on the origin patterns of immigrants to the EU-27 and describing evidence about the need of immigrant workers. Section two explores in greater detail the employment situation of immigrants, their distribution across the industrial sectors and how this compares with the native population. The legal status of seasonal workers, posted workers and intra-corporate transferees from outside the EU is outlined in section three, where immigration legislation for these types of workers is described.

Section four explores obstacles to the integration of immigrants and their children within the educational system, as well as their assimilation into the labour market. The role of both restrictive immigration policies and of practical barriers to integration is investigated. The impact of immigration on the wages and on the welfare state is considered in section five, where evidence from empirical studies is compared with the results of opinion surveys. Section six concludes the study with an overview of the current implementation of anti-discrimination laws in EU Member States. The section describes best practices taken at the national and company level which have been successful in promoting the integration of immigrants, preventing discrimination and improving their social inclusion. The final section seven gives some policy recommendations.

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