'Blue card' will bring extra 20m Asian and African workers to EU in next 20 years

The blue card scheme that would let an extra 20million immigrants and their families from outside the EU settle in any European country was described by the Tories as "a very worrying development".

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis called on Labour to "make clear it will not hand over more control to Brussels" after the plans to give work permits to skilled workers were unveiled by immigration commissioner Franco Frattini.

The blue card, similar to the U.S. green card, would entitle migrants with more than three years' work experience or a university degree to work in a member state under "fast-track" immigration reforms.

Mr Frattini has described the scheme as a global job advertising blitz to attract engineers, doctors, nurses and IT workers from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Europe's economy has skills gaps caused by a declining, ageing population, but the U.S. is currently a far more attractive destination for many qualified workers.

Britain can opt out of the scheme initially because it is not bound by EU policy on immigration and asylum.

But blue card-holders would be allowed to enter the UK by the "back door" because the scheme allows workers and their families to move to a second EU country of their choice after two years.

They can also apply to stay permanently after five consecutive years in any EU state. Britain already plans to introduce a points system based on salary and qualifications which would allow skilled migrants to work here.

Yet this could be rendered useless because even if someone was rejected by Britain, they could be approved by the blue card scheme.

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Mr Davis said: "These proposals mark a very worrying development. At a time when Labour has patently failed to exert a proper level of control over immigration the last thing we need is more meddling from Brussels.

"The level and impact of immigration from outside the EU to the UK is different to other EU countries. This is precisely the kind of policy that should be left to national governments and Labour must make clear it will not hand over more control to Brussels."

Tory Euro MP Syed Kamall said: "A one-size-fits-all immigration policy will fail to cater for the individual needs of the local economy.

"Immigration is an area where national governments should cooperate through the EU but yet again the Commission is using a legitimate concern of both business and citizens as an excuse for more centralisation of powers."

To get a blue card, qualified workers need to prove they have been offered a job lasting at least one year and with a salary at least three times the legal minimum wage applicable in the country they are heading for.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: "These are simply the latest ideas from Commissioner Frattini and frankly we don't support them, which is why we stay outside EU migration directives."

But the Home Office refused to rule out the prospect of Britain taking blue card-holders after two years.