UK drafts plans to limit Bulgaria and Romania migrants
31.08.2006 - 09:46 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
The UK government is drafting a work permit scheme aimed at
limiting the number of Bulgarian and Romanian jobseekers coming to Britain after
the two countries join the EU, with both interior and finance ministries in
favour of a regime similar to one already in place for other third country
nationals.
According to UK daily The Guardian, the labour restrictions
likely to be introduced by London would require new migrants to prove they can
fill specific skills shortages, with relatively few eligible applicants getting
permission to work.
"We have a strong record on accepting migrants from
Europe, but sometimes politics has to override the economics and that is what is
going to happen in this case," one member of the cabinet closely involved in the
talks told the newspaper.
The existing UK work permit system is based on
a points system, with migrants from non-EU countries rated primarily for
education and professional qualifications.
EU citizens have a right to
work in any member state, but current members are allowed to place restrictions
on Bulgaria and Romania for up to seven years on the same model as in the 2004
round of enlargement.
Sofia and Bucharest have expressed disappointment over
plans by some countries to fence off labour markets, while several EU member
states have not yet made clear what line they will take.
Britain was one
of three "old" member states - along with Ireland and Sweden - that fully opened
up to citizens from eight countries in central and eastern Europe right after
they joined the bloc in 2004.
The move has seen some 600,000 new
jobseekers come to the UK so far - well in excess of government estimates -
causing a backlash in some tabloid press and a lively debate on the Bulgaria and
Romania question.
London predicts between 60,000 and 140,000 people will
come from the two states to the UK in the first year after accession, which
could take place in January 2007.
© EUobserver.com 2006
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"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." (Jimi Hendrix)
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