The publication argues that Europe’s economic and industrial resilience is increasingly threatened by overreliance on external suppliers, particularly in strategic sectors critical to the green and digital transitions.
European cities are at the forefront of migrant labor market integration, yet they remain insufficiently reflected in EU migration policymaking and funding frameworks. While migration governance is formally shared between the EU and its Member States, the practical responsibilities of reception, integration, and employment support are largely borne by municipalities. This policy note draws on insights from an expert workshop held in Berlin under the European Cities Network on Migration and brings together perspectives from cities and national actors across Europe and neighboring regions. It examines how EU policy can more effectively support local labor market integration through four interconnected areas: promoting legal pathways for migration, revitalizing integration frameworks, establishing EU-wide standards for asylum seeker labor market access, and leveraging digital tools and local innovation. The note also highlights the structural constraints faced by cities, including fragmented funding, weak multilevel coordination, and limited institutional recognition, and outlines institutional and financial reforms needed to strengthen municipal capacity. By linking local practices with EU-level policy design, this paper argues that more inclusive, harmonized, and city-responsive migration policies are essential to ensuring sustainable labor market integration, improving migration governance, and delivering shared economic and social benefits across the European Union.