IMMIGRATION : OVER 9% OF EUROPE'S POPULATION FOREIGN-BORN'.

In 2010, foreign-born persons (people whose place of birth - or usual residence of the mother at the time of the birth - is outside the country of his/her usual residence) accounted for 9.4% of the EU27 population. Their socio-economic situation was in general less favourable than for native-born persons, according to a report on the characteristics of immigrants aged between 25-54 living in the European Union and EFTA countries, published by Eurostat, on 8 December 2011. Foreign-born persons, foreign citizens and second-generation migrants are considered separately.

In 2008 in the EU27, the unemployment rate of foreign-born persons aged 25-54 was higher than for native-born persons in this age group (10% compared with 6%). Particularly high differences were recorded in Belgium (14% for foreign-born compared with 5% for native-born), Sweden (11% and 3%), Finland (11% and 5%), Spain (15% and 9%), France (12% and 6%) and Germany (12% and 6%).

Foreign-born persons often have more difficulties to find a job corresponding to their education level. This can be measured using an over-qualification rate, which refers to the percentage of persons with a high level of education who have a job which does not correspond to this level. In the EU27 in 2008, foreign-born persons aged 25-54 registered a significantly higher over-qualification rate than native-born persons (34% compared with 19%) with particularly marked differences in Greece (62% for foreign-born compared...