euro|topics - Free movement of workers within Europe

Main focus of Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Free movement of workers within Europe

Up to now Great Britain and Ireland had assumed a pioneering role in free movement of workers within the EU. They were the first to open their labour markets to people from the new Eastern European member states in 2004. However, both Great Britain and Ireland now plan to introduce restrictive measures regarding Romania and Bulgaria, which will join the EU in 2007. And other EU countries are also considering temporary restrictive measures. Poland, which until now has profited from the free movement of labour, now wants to take on a pioneering role by being the first to open its labour market to Romanians and Bulgarians.

The Independent - United Kingdom

"The fear whipped up by the populist press has brought us to this", complains the daily. "After screaming for years that we are being 'swamped' by immigrants from Eastern Europe, a weakened Government is bowing to their will. It is worth restating that the reason we attract so many immigrants is that our economy is growing. It is a pity the Government shows so little understanding of this. ... Mr Reid plans on keeping down the numbers of low-skilled workers. This is pure prejudice. The majority of immigrant workers do the jobs that Native Britons turn down. ... Without such unskilled workers the economy would be in serious difficulties.... The most likely outcome is that those who come will end up working in the black economy, where they will be at risk of exploitation and pay no tax. The government is stoking hysteria on immigration, weakening our economy and needlessly insulting our newest European neighbours." (25/10/2006)

Irish Examiner - Ireland

"By any yardstick, the Government's decision not to allow free access to the Irish labour market for migrants from Romania and Bulgaria after they join the EU goes against the spirit of the Euro club", comments the daily. "Arguably, however, the Republic had little choice since Britain declared it would restrict their entry. As the only other English-speaking state in the EU, Ireland would trigger a flood of migration through an open door policy. ... Undoubtedly, the economy gained massively from the influx of foreign workers [after the 2004 EU accession of ten states] who now make up 10% of the Irish workforce. Having lowered the portcullis, Government must now deliver on its pledge to address the integration needs of migrant workers and their dependents. With 250,000 foreign workers, Ireland has a bounden duty to address their social, welfare, and educational needs." (25/10/2006)

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland

The Polish government has announced that it will open its doors to workers from Romania and Bulgaria at the beginning of next year. Witold Gadomski welcomes the idea: "We will be passing on the good things that we have received from Europe to countries less well-off than we are. The influx of foreign workers will benefit our economy. Thousands of Poles, many of them skilled and specialist workers, are now working in England and Ireland and enriching these countries. In a few months' time the Polish economy will benefit from the influx of foreign workers. Naturally, there will be a certain amount of tension and conflict. Not everybody in London is happy about the wave of Polish workers entering the economy. But I am confident that we will adapt quickly to the new situation, see its advantages and give the new arrivals a warm welcome." (25/10/2006)

Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany

Klaus Brill argues that restricting free movement of workers within Europe won't have much of an impact. "However, the situation is by no means the same everywhere, and this also applies to the countries of origin. For example, the number of Czechs leaving their home country has remained relatively small. Bavaria's minister for economic affairs, Erwin Huber, recently admitted that fears of an invasion of the Upper Palatinate had been 'greatly exaggerated'. In contrast, 170,000 Slovaks have left their country since 2004. 36,000 went to England, 15,000 to Ireland, but the majority, 75,000, came to the Czech Republic. Moreover, there are already around two million Romanians working in the 25 EU member states, and according to the government in Budapest's statistics, 1.3 million of them are legally employed.... These figures prove that migration within Europe is an unstoppable historical process driven by the disparities between East and West... Even now there are people from Belarus, Ukraine and even Vietnam living (often illegally) in the Czech Republic, many of whom are university graduates. In view of the poverty of their situation in their home countries, Europe's higher salaries act like a magnet. Rules and regulations won't do much to change this." (25/10/2006)

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, October 25, 2006

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