Three Bills passed the first reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Aliens Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (streamlining migration proceedings)  (548 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. It is intended to update migration proceedings and to strengthen control over migration. The amendment is intended to facilitate settlement in Estonia for aliens who bring greater added value to society as a whole. On the other hand, the aim is to avoid abuse of residence permits and visas and illegal immigration in order to ensure security, public order and national security.

For foreigners and those inviting them to Estonia, including employers and educational institutions, the Bill will create the possibility to communicate with the state electronically and paperlessly, applying the one-stop-shop principle. It will be possible to exchange information between databases via X-Road which will make administration faster and more efficient.

In order to ensure security and to prevent misuse, it is provided that, upon application for a residence permit for the purpose of employment, the employer must be entered in the Estonian commercial register and must prove at least 12 months of actual economic activity in Estonia.

For application for a residence permit, the Bill will establish additional bases for refusal where the applicant is found to be linked to foreign security agencies or power structures. In the future, applications and additional documents cannot be submitted in Russian.

In the case of temporary agency work, for employers, the requirement of a deposit of one month’s remuneration will be replaced by a requirement of 18 months of prior actual economic activity, which will increase employers’ accountability and reduce the risk of abuse of the system. In order to solve bottlenecks, new requirements will be added for application for a residence permit to permanently settle in Estonia, such as mandatory completion of an adaptation programme and at least A2-level Estonian language skills. In the visa procedure, the requirement will be provided that documents issued in a foreign country must be legalized or certified with an apostille, which will guarantee the reliability of the documents submitted.

The Bill will also specify the definition of an alien permanently residing in Estonia, according to which such a person has an Estonian residence permit or right of residence and his or her principal residence is in Estonia.

Upon starting work in growth companies, an expedited procedure for short-term employment will be enabled, which will simplify the engagement of talent. In addition, the activities in Estonia for film crew members participating in the production of films and series will be facilitated.

The explanatory memorandum to the Bill notes that the aim of Estonia’s immigration policy is, on the one hand, to facilitate settlement in Estonia for aliens who bring greater added value to society as a whole, and on the other hand to avoid abuse of residence permits and visas and illegal immigration in order to ensure security, public order and national security. A managed migration policy must ensure the preservation of the Estonian language and culture, take into account Estonia’s integration capability and contribute to the sustainable development of the economy and the growth of competitiveness.

Toomas Uibo from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

The Bill on the Approval of the Amendments to the Articles of Agreement of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (558 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. It will approve the amendments to the Articles of Agreement of the bank to remove the current limitations on borrowings of the Bank. This will make the financial management of the Bank more modern and flexible. In the future, the management of the bank’s risks will be decided at the level of shareholders’ representatives, that is, executive directors.

The Bill on Amendments to the Hunting Act  (553 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, passed the first reading.   Its purpose is to give the Environmental Board the opportunity to organize hunting all year round to prevent damage caused by game. The current Act allows this only outside the hunting season.

If the hunting quota is filled during the hunting season but there is a need to hunt game, the Environmental Board can no longer organize game hunting, including the hunting of problem individuals. To solve this problem, it is proposed to amend the Hunting Act and to give the Environmental Board the right to organise hunting all year round to prevent damage caused by wild game.

Tarmo Tamm from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Tiit Maran from the Social Democratic Party Group and Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

The video recording of the sitting will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Three Bills passed the first reading

Source: Parliament of Estonia