According to a report by the European Commission, more than seven million non-EU migrants remain unemployed in the European Union, with their unemployment rate being twice as high as the EU average. Brussels points to language and cultural barriers as the main reasons, but critics argue that the EU’s migration policy fosters the creation of “pockets of dependency.”
The European Commission’s Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) report revealed that more than seven million non-EU migrants living in the EU are unemployed. The unemployment rate among this group stands at 11.8%, twice the EU average of 5.9%. In addition, 38% of migrants are at risk of poverty.
The report indicates that more than half of immigrant women outside the labour market have never worked, compared with 40% of men. The European Commission cites “cultural traditions” as a cause, particularly in Muslim communities, which discourage women from entering the workforce. Another barrier is language – in 2021, only one in four migrants reported fluency in the host country’s language, which hampers both access to employment and social integration.
Integration challenges begin in childhood. In Germany, reports point to an educational crisis among migrant children: three-quarters of adults without schooling and nearly half without vocational qualifications are of immigrant background. In 2024, 14% of children in public kindergartens in Germany did not speak German.
Despite these figures, Brussels continues to emphasise the “need” for more migrants to sustain welfare systems. Critics, however, argue that the EU’s current migration policy not only fails to address existing problems but also contributes to the creation of “pockets of dependency” across Europe, deepening integration difficulties and burdening member states’ economies.