Member Article

Romanians and Bulgarians flocking to UK for work

The number of Romanians and Bulgarians working in the UK rose by a quarter in three months, official figures say.

The Office for National Statistics said 141,000 were employed from April to June compared with 112,000 in the previous three months, up nearly 26%.

There has been a cap on the number of migrants from the countries, and the type of work they can do, which is due to expire later this year.

An even bigger influx of EU migrants is expected next year.

The Romanian and Bulgarian ambassadors to the UK estimate up to 35,000 of their countrymen could come to Britain in 2014.

The number is similar to predictions made by the respected MigrationWatch think tank which put forward a figure of around 50,000.

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of MigrationWatch said: “It’s significant that these ambassadors now recognise that it could be 35,000. That’s at the bottom of our own range but it suggests they are beginning to accept that the numbers could be significant.”

BBC political correspondent Susana Mendonca said the issue of migration from Romania and Bulgaria was a controversial one.

The UK government has refused to put a figure on the likely influx once the labour market was fully open fully to the two countries.

The Home Office said Romanian and Bulgarian nationals made up just 0.3% of the people employed in the UK.

Bulgarians and Romanians have had the right to visa-free travel to the UK since 2007 when their countries joined the EU.

But there have been temporary restrictions on the kind of jobs they could take, which will be dropped at the end of the year in accordance with EU rules.

In response the UK government is considering limiting access by migrants to benefits, healthcare and housing.

A study by MigrationWatch explains why Britain is likely to be attractive to Romanians and Bulgarians. Both are relatively poor with a minimum wage of around £1 an hour, compared to £6.19 here, and income per head of about a fifth of Britain’s. In addition, destinations such as Spain, Italy and France have high youth unemployment.

The UK also offers full benefits when immigrants find work, including housing and child benefit and child tax credit.

Chairman Sir Andrew said: “It is not good enough to duck making an estimate of immigration. It is likely to have significant consequences for housing and services. It will also add to the competition young workers face.”

The issue of EU migrants working in the UK has been in the spotlight over the past few days, after Labour MP Chris Bryant accused retailers Tesco and Next of giving preference to cheap workers from Eastern Europe over British people.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Graham Vincent .