NET-Work You Project at the EU Labor Mobility Practitioners’ Network 2025 Conference

NET-Work You Project at the EU Labor Mobility Practitioners’ Network 2025 Conference

In a rapidly evolving European policy landscape shaped by shifting demographics, labour shortages, the green and digital transition, and the continued reform of migration governance, labour migration has become critical for the EU’s resilience strategy. 

On November 18–19, 2025, the NET-WORK YOU project participated in the annual EU Labor Mobility Practitioners’ Network (EU LMPN) conference, titled “From lessons to levers: Driving the next phase of labor migration”, organized in Brussels by ICMPD, MPF, and EU Labour Mobility Practitioners’ Network (EU LMPN).

The event brought together European institutions, international experts, and public and private stakeholders to share perspectives, identify persistent challenges, and strengthen strategies for developing more effective and sustainable labor migration pathways.

The 2025 edition emphasized the need to capitalize on lessons learned from past and ongoing initiatives while developing forward-looking approaches. Discussions focused on recurring obstacles faced by Member States:  Visa procedures, skills recognition – alignment between international talent and European market needs – and on practical ways to address them.

The conference also highlighted the strategic importance of tools such as the EU Talent Pool and Talent Partnerships for structuring future mobility dynamics and strengthening EU resilience.

Over the two days, several thematic sessions took place. On the first day (November 18), The NETWORK-YOU project, represented by Daniela Palermo, participated in the session “Visa Pathways that Deliver: Building Sustainable Pathways from Project Experiences”. 

This session aimed to examine how visa procedures influence the success, sustainability, and scalability of labor mobility initiatives, drawing on the experience of projects funded by the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF). Although European mechanisms such as Skills Partnerships or Talent Partnerships are highly valued politically, the visa process remains a central, often underestimated element of legal migration governance.

The session was structured in two parts:

  • Round 1: Approaching the visa pathway
  • Round 2:  Implementation, challenges and solutions

Panelists shared their experiences and recommendations, particularly regarding visa pathways facilitating mobility to Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Finland. Key discussion themes included:

  • How visa pathways were selected or adapted during project implementation.
  • Major procedural and administrative challenges, including coordination with national authorities, employers, and consulates.
  • Mitigation strategies developed to ensure timely, fair, and compliant mobility.
  • Lessons learned for the design of future MPF projects and EU-level talent mobility schemes.

Designed as a pragmatic, solution-oriented exchange, the session encouraged interaction with the audience, particularly with other MPF project teams, to compare approaches and collectively reflect on improving visa procedures and accessibility of legal pathways.

The session yielded several important outcomes: 

  • a clearer understanding of how EU visa pathways function in practice through MPF projects and their impact; 
  • insights from concrete project experiences about effective mitigation strategies, coordination mechanisms, and innovative approaches to streamline visa processes;
  • recognition of the critical role of visa facilitation in making legal migration pathways practical, predictable, and accessible for both employers and workers; 
  • actionable recommendations for the design of future MPF mobility projects.

In conclusion, this experience allowed NET-WORK-YOU project to share concrete experience and enrich discussions on visa pathways and labor mobility in Europe. The discussion emphasized the importance of practical and coordinated solutions to facilitate legal migration, while strengthening the sustainability of initiatives. These insights provide a valuable foundation to guide future MPF project design and support the development of more effective, inclusive, and labor-market-oriented European mobility policies.

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