Estonia has said that the country does not support the recent update of the Single Permit Directive, under which simplified rules will apply to foreigners holding a single work and residence permit.
Citing concerns related to the cost that the country will have to pay following the simplification of work and residence permits, Estonia said that it is against the Single Permit Directive undergoing an update.
According to Estonian Public Broadcasting, ERR, under the new EU single permit, foreign workers will have more rights when it comes to their working conditions, social security, and qualification recognition, among others.
As part of their working rights, nationals of non-EU workers who enter Estonia for work purposes and then remain unemployed after working for a period of six months are eligible to receive benefits.
However, the country fears that the number of those who will be in need of benefits will be high, thus costing it too much.
Commenting on the permits, the head of the EU Commission Representation in Estonia, Vivian Loonela, said that the permits are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The same noted that the first permits will be temporary, meaning that there will be a need to reapply for the permit for those who wish to extend their stay.
The permit will allow non-EU workers to reside and work in Estonia and in the other EU Member States for a minimum period of six months.
Nonetheless, in case foreign workers are no longer employed and thus lose their income at the end of the six-month or more contract, they will be able to register as unemployed in Estonia, ERR notes.
Upon their registration as unemployed, they will automatically be entitled to receive unemployment benefits from the government for up to three months, which, according to Loonela, is the support that foreign workers deserve for working in the country.
If they become unemployed, they are entitled to receive up to three months of unemployment benefits, depending on how much they were paid. They really get the support from the state that they have invested in.
This, however, has raised concerns among Estonian authorities, who fear that this directive might be misused by foreign workers.
An adviser in the Department of Citizenship and Migration Policy at Estonia’s Ministry of Interior said that in line with the latest update, foreign workers could change their employers at any time, stressing that after six months of working in the country, they would be eligible for unemployment benefits.
While the adviser stressed that it is not a bad thing to give foreign workers the possibility to change their employers, they would like first to see them work longer for their first employer.
Others have said that foreign workers should be permitted to enter only if they fill jobs that are currently dealing with shortages.
