HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER

IMPACT OF THE NEWLY REVISED SINGLE PERMIT DIRECTIVE ON NON-EU CITIZENS’ WORKING RIGHTS IN THE EU AND CZECH REPUBLIC Daniel Baumruk Abstract The EU’s Migration Pact, adopted after lengthy discussions, brings changes to immigration and asylum policies, aiming for secure borders, efficient procedures, and clearer rights. This article examines the revised Single Permit Directive, effective April 2024, which enhances the rights of third-country national workers. The updated directive improves equal treatment, access to information, and allows workers to change employers or stay in the EU during unemployment. While it aligns with EU goals to attract skilled workers, the changes are incremental and may not significantly impact the EU’s attractiveness to workers. National laws, like in the Czech Republic, will require minor adjustments. Overall, the revisions are positive but may not drastically alter the EU’s ability to draw skilled labor. Introduction After years of intense discussion surrounding EUs immigration policy, the EU’s key institutions finally adopted the much-awaited Pact on Migration and Asylum (hereinafter referred to as “Migration Pact”). The Migration Pact is a compromise balancing many different national interests and makes key changes in the common EUs’ immigration system. While the EUs anticipation is more secure external borders, faster and more efficient procedures and clearer and better guarantied rights, many NGOs have expressed their concerns about the future of rights of the asylum seekers, expecting: “ rollback of people’s right to seek asylum, more detention at borders… ”. 1 The influx of asylum seekers has been a major factor behind recent legislative changes, marked by two significant peaks. In 2014, the number of first-time applicants was around 600,000, but this surged to 1,216,900 in 2015, creating the first major peak. After a period of relative decline, a second peak emerged in 2023 with 1,048,900 applications, reflecting a steady rise of approximately 500,000 annually since 2021. By the end of 2023, 1,144,085 applications were still pending. 2 1 What is the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum? In: INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE [online], 2023. [cit. 2024-08-15]. Available at: https://www.rescue.org/eu/article/what-eu-pact-migration and-asylum. 2 Asylum applications – annual statistics. In: EUROSTAT [online], 2024. [cit. 2024-08-15]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics explained/index.php?title=Asylum_statistics&oldid=558844#Citi zenship_of_firsttime_applicants_.E2.80.93_mainly_Syrian.2C_Afghan_and_Turk.

94