Britannist

A leading Romanian newspaper today tells its readers not to worry if the British Government says it's putting up immigration barriers against Romanians (when Romania joins the EU) – because so many British people are abandoning the UK there will soon be a long-term need for Romanians to work in the UK anyway. In other words, once Romania is in the EU, hundreds of thousands of Romanians will find a way of getting into the UK with a little patience.

The Romanian daily newspaper Evenimentul Zilei comments today (30.8.2006) “The fact that the UK will not open its doors completely to Romanian workers for perhaps two or three years need not be taken as a drama. On the basis of a selective policy, those with a qualification which is in demand can already find jobs in the UK now. This is another ray of hope. Statistics show that many British people emigrate. In 2004, more than 200, 000 people left the UK. So there will be a long-term need for labour.”

The population of Romania is 22.3 million (about the same as the old Yugoslavia). There are also 2 million Romanians working in other european nations – mostly in Italy and Spain (where the languages are in the same linguistic group as Romanian meaning Romanians can understand some of the native tongue). The average gross household income in Romania is £223 a month (compared to £226 a month in Bulgaria – also joining the EU next year – and to the average household income in the UK of £2403 a month). The eurosceptic group Open Europe forecasts at least 600, 000 Romanians and Bulgarians coming to the UK from 2007 unless tight restrictions are put in place.