EU Enlargment and Migrant Workers

The Government has announced that there will be restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian workers when they join the EU in January 2007.

Food processing and agriculture will be the only sectors not affected by the new restrictions. Romanians and Bulgarians will still be free to live in the UK and to take any job if self-employed or if they have a specific work permit. Students will also still be able to enter the UK and work part time.

When the EU was last enlarged in May 2004 (to incorporate eight East European countries) approximately 447,000 migrant workers registered to work in the UK. These Government restrictions (which are due to last for 7 years) appear to be an attempt to prevent a similar influx.