EU proposes 'blue card' to attract skilled immigrants

As part of efforts to fulfil Europe's hunger for highly-qualified workers, Brussels has formally tabled the idea of an EU work permit - dubbed the blue card - allowing employment to non-Europeans in any country within the 27-nation bloc.

"We are not good enough at attracting highly-skilled workers nor are we young enough or numerous enough to keep the wheels of our societies and economies turning on our own", European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said after the executive b...