One of the chief downsides of isolationism, not only here but in Europe
Europe struggles to attract tech talent even as US closes doors
Immigration rules and attitudes toward migrants, plus limited investment in tech startups, are all big hurdles.
By JOANNA PLUCINSKA AND SAIM SAEED
U.S. President Donald Trump’s moves on immigration are bad news for ambitious tech workers. That should be good news for Europe’s talent-hungry digital hubs.
Don’t expect a windfall just yet.
This week, Trump signaled his intention to rescind an immigration rule that allows foreign entrepreneurs to remain in the U.S. while they build new companies. Winning office on the back of an “America first” campaign, the U.S. president repeatedly vowed to cut the number of H-1B visas that permit talented foreigners to join the world’s biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley.
That sets the stage for Amsterdam, Berlin or Paris to become the next global magnet for engineers, coders and entrepreneurs.
Yet Europe is struggling to surmount multiple barriers. It’s considered one of the least-tolerant continents toward migrants as populist movements continue to sway public opinion, said Eugenio Ambrosi, the regional director of the EU, Norway and Switzerland office of the International Organization for Migration. Meanwhile, the Continent’s reputation for tech investment remains weak, and its inability to grow the next European Google or Facebook makes it a less desirable place for ambitious workers, politicians, civil society and the industry agree.
On top of that, EU lawmakers and members of the tech community say the Continent hasn’t embraced a 2009 Blue Card directive, intended to establish an easy-to-use, universal visa program for highly skilled workers. A revamp proposed by the European Commission last year is stuck in interinstitutional infighting . . .
