22 August 2006

The Home Office has today released figures showing that 427,000 people from new EU member states have registered to work in the UK since May 2004. The figures also show that benefit claims by people from the new member states are increasing rapidly. While there had been 6,853 successful benefit claims made by workers from new member states this time last year, there have now been 42,057 successful claims. The figures shed light on the current debate about how to handle migration from Bulgaria and Romania when they join the EU (expected to be from the start of 2007).

A new briefing note released by Open Europe today argues that the UK should allow free movement of workers from Bulgaria and Romania – but that the UK must repeal the EU legislation which limits the government’s ability to control the movement of criminals and the rights of non-workers to access benefits.

We project that if the current policies remain in place then the UK should expect around 450,000 people from Romania and around 170,000 people from Bulgaria to come to the UK to work over the first two years after their accession. Making a success of such a large movement of people will require a new and better system than the Government’s current Worker Registration Scheme.

Open Europe Director Neil O’Brien said: “Today’s figures show that the Worker Registration Scheme is failing. The Home Office simply does not have accurate figures for the number of people who have come to the UK, which is causing serious problems for some local councils. If we are going to make a success of migration from Bulgaria and Romania, where incomes are far lower even than the countries that recently joined, we will need a much better system. In particular we need a system which makes sure people come here to work rather than claim benefits.”

“However, so-called work quota systems could actually be counterproductive, because EU law means that Bulgarians and Romanians would still be able to come to the UK. Quotas would only restrict their right to work legally and pay tax, not their right to come to the UK or use public services.”

“We should allow people from Bulgaria and Romania to work in the UK legally. But we must repeal the EU legislation which limits the government’s ability to deport foreign criminals and makes it hard to stop people who are not working from claiming benefits.”

Notes:

Please click here for the full briefing and here for Open Europe. See also a further updated briefing looking at the arguments here.