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Immigration: Romania and Bulgaria

My honourable friend the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration and Minister for the West Midlands (Liam Byrne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am today announcing that the Government have decided to maintain the restrictions on the labour market access of migrants coming to the UK from Romania and Bulgaria (the A2) until at least the end of 2008. Last year the UK decided to open access to our labour market only gradually to nationals of Bulgaria and Romania. These arrangements have been reviewed and a balance struck between the needs of the UK labour market, the wider impact of the migration of accession state nationals on the UK and the positions adopted by other EU countries (as that affects access of the UK labour market). We have looked therefore at the evidence of the benefits and the impacts of migration from the A2 and from the A8 (eight countries which joined the EU in 2004), which we have used to inform this decision. While initial evidence shows that there is a clear positive contribution to the economy from migration, there are some reports of pressures in other areas, including public services. The prudent balance is therefore to maintain restrictions as we monitor the medium to long-term effects of accession migration. From 2008, applications to the existing seasonal agricultural workers scheme will be accepted only from Romania and Bulgaria as was announced last year. The overall number of migrants coming to the UK through SAWS is unchanged. The UK also set up the workers registration scheme following the EU accession of eight East European countries (the A8) on 1 May 2004. This scheme continues to operate.