News & Politics - Romanian and Bulgarian immigration restrictions.

welshgirlyUK · 10-30-2007, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Liam Byrne has confirmed that restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian workers wanting to come to the UK will stay in place until "at least the end of 2008"In an announcement on Tuesday the Home Office minister set out government policy on the right of people from the two countries, which joined the European Union at the start of this year, to work in Britain.

Byrne said there had been "signs of a wider impact on public services", but that migration did bring economic benefits.

The government imposed restrictions on the two states after offering an open door policy to workers from the eight countries which joined the EU in 2004, causing an unexpected influx of around 600,000 people.

Under the current system, up to 20,000 Romanian and Bulgarian workers are allowed to take low-skilled jobs in agriculture or food processing.

Those wanting to take up high-skilled positions are required to apply for work permits, and students are able to work part-time.

The Conservatives denounced the current immigration system as "not fit for purpose".

Shadow immigration minister Damian Green called onByrne to ensure there were "transitional restrictions on immigrants from future EU countries".

And calling for "an annual explicit limit on migration from outside the EU", he added: "This measure amounts to nothing more than a sticking plaster, trying to mend an immigration system that still remains 'not fit for purpose'."

'Too high'

Byrne's announcement comes after David Cameron pledged that a Conservative government would cut immigration.

In a speech on Monday, the Tory leader said net immigration was too high and called for a "grown-up conversation" on the issue.

"Of course we should recognise that in an advanced, open economy there will be high levels of emigration and immigration," he said. "But what matters is the net figure, which I believe is currently too high.

"So we need policy to reduce the level of net immigration - and we also need to bring together policy issues from housing to skills; planning to immigration control; the family to border control, into a coherent long-term population strategy."

But responding to Cameron's speech, Byrne said: "If David Cameron wants to have a serious conversation about these issues, he should start by offering some detailed policy proposals and not merely rehash platitudes that we have heard from him before."

Highlighting the new points-based immigration system and measures such as identity cards as ways to "help us safeguard access to work and benefits", he added: "The British people expect serious, considered policies.

"Labour's approach to immigration is based on firm, fair and serious policies - that is what the British public want, not populist soundbites. Sadly they have come to expect nothing but the latter from David Cameron.

Source.

elisheva · 10-31-2007, 08:09 PM

Have there been significant anti-immigration feelings in the UK recently?

welshgirlyUK · 11-02-2007, 02:17 PM

I think there have been some issues lately, yeah. I've recently read something about there being some problems in skilled work areas like building where there has been a significant influx of polish workers coming to Britain to work for a few years, in say the building trade, and are willing to work for the minimum wage or close to it and send it home to there family, live with other polish workers for a few years then go back home where the pound will be worth a lot more. But this has caused problems because most British skilled workers are unable to live on the minimum wage and keep with the high living standards where used to and the cost and so companies are hiring immigrant workers over British workers because of course there going to hire the cheaper labour. I'm not sure i'd classify it as anti feelings though, there doesn't seem to be a lot of negative attitude to say the polish. At least not to a serious extent that i'm aware of.

But there is a lot of concern that the country cant deal with the amount of immigrants coming in just to use the NHS and with crime for the cost of translations. There's a lot of talk of us adopting a system like Australia, where people have to be educated to a cetain degree or bring in a business or trade that where in need of.

elisheva · 11-02-2007, 02:22 PM

I guess it's kind of the issues that all highly developed countries are facing right now.

We've been talking about some similar topics in my Canadian Immigration Politics class. Apparently many immigrant groups have a much lower rate of falling back on social welfare systems (compared to, for example, native-born Canadians), which I found very interesting.

welshgirlyUK · 11-05-2007, 07:36 AM

I think this particular case is not so much about immigration in general but more of the European 'open door' policy to other EU countries. Apparently its not working to our (Britains) advantange.

But yes, i think your right, immigration certainly seems to be a problem for a lot of western countries right now.

elisheva · 11-05-2007, 03:38 PM

I've read about internal EU immigration being a problem for France as well (the issue of the "Polish plumber" being one example). I wonder if the fact that Britain already tends to be more Euro-skeptic adds to the negative feeling?

welshgirlyUK · 11-06-2007, 06:40 AM

Yeah the problems France face are also portrayed in the media since we are both interlinked via the tunnel. Our sceptism on a lot of what the EU brings and makes us do most likely does contribute to the negative reaction towards it to be honest. Especially now when there is a lot of anti EU feeling going around in response to some legislation there trying to make us have that will surrender a great deal of govt power when it comes to immigrant criminals being deported and the serving sentences of serious criminals.


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