France to set up regional quotas for foreign worker permits

France will establish a quota system, by region and profession, for issuing work permits to non-EU citizens, the country’s Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud announced.

It comes during President Emmanuel Macron’s renewed focus on immigration, which has caused some on the left wing of his centrist party to feel unsettled.

However, Penicaud told RMC radio she didn’t believe there would be “a big change in the numbers” of work permits under the new system, which she said was set to come into effect mid-next year, quoting a figure of roughly 33,000 relevant vacancies per year.

The country already keeps lists of professions that are in demand by region, and employers can seek work permits for foreigners for those positions without first attempting to fill the vacancy locally.

Via DW