Regretting Parliament's passing of the 'single permit' as a threat to migrants' rights, German GUE/NGL MEP Cornelia Ernst said the new rules create sub-categories of migrants and establish an unacceptable bind between work and residence permits.

"The single application procedure for residence and work permits unacceptably links the residence permit to employment and will not provide third country nationals with the same rights as European citizens."

"The work on this new provision augured well at the beginning but ended lamentably. This is by no means the gateway to a truly simplified scheme for third-country nationals wishing to work in an open EU.

"The scope is petty - the regulation will be valid only for the issuing Member State, not for the EU as a whole. In addition, the regulation does not apply to family members of EU citizens if they are third country nationals, nor seasonal workers, posted workers, or people who are under international or temporary protection. Thus different castes of third country nationals will arise with different rights."

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:

David Lundy +32 485 50 58 12

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20

david.lundy@europarl.europa.eu

gabrielle.kavanagh@europarl.europa.eu

European United Left / Nordic Green Left

European Parliamentary Group

www.guengl.eu