Work permits moratorium

In the last couple of years, the situation with work permits has been degrading rapidly.  Now, Cyprus News reports, it might get even worse:

LABOUR Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous yesterday proposed a moratorium on work permits for third country nationals employed in certain sectors in a bid to tackle unemployment among Cypriots and other EU citizens.

“It is a decision, which we view necessary under the current circumstances, with unemployment increasing and the availability of a satisfactory number of jobless capable local and community personnel to cover these needs,” Charalambous said after a meeting of the national employment committee.

The moratorium concerns bread production, confectioners, wholesale trade, printers, cheese makers, the dairy industry and other – unspecified — sectors of the economy.

I do understand and fully support the necessity to protect Cyprus citizens from unemployment.  However, what usually happens in practice is not the same thing.  In practice, those businesses that rely on foreign workers (native speakers, etc) or on workers with specific expertise, find themselves in the position of not being able to hire foreigners.  That, in turn, can’t be too good for the economy either.