Rise in EU migrants but figures disprove early fears
THE NUMBER of Romanians and Bulgarians employed in Britain between April and June rose nearly 10 per cent compared with the previous three months, official figures have revealed.
A total of 153,000 Romanians and Bulgarians were employed in the UK in the quarter, some three months after access restrictions to the labour market for the two countries were lifted, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
This is an increase of 13,000 when compared with the 140,000 in the previous three months, from January to March, and an increase of 9,000 when compared with the last three months of 2013.
Restrictions to the labour market were lifted for Romanians and Bulgarians on January 1, prompting warnings of a looming surge of immigration.
The data appeared to suggest the predicted surge in Romanians and Bulgarians arriving in Britain had not transpired as the numbers actually dipped over the turn of the year by 4,000 workers.
A range of polarised reports emerged in the run-up to the lifting of controls, including a predicted surge in pickpocketing, muggings, beggars on the streets and rioting. Other reports suggested citizens from the two Eastern European countries would attempt to sell their babies.
Claims of fully-booked flights and coaches from Bucharest and Sofia at the turn of the year were proved incorrect and retracted.
The Home Affairs Select Committee earlier this year blasted the Government for failing to commission estimates of the numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians who would come to Britain after controls were lifted, which played into the hands of those who ‘’wish to inflame tensions about immigration”.
It prompted Prime Minister David Cameron to propose new measures limiting benefits and access to the NHS, while EU immigrants found begging or sleeping rough could be deported and barred from re-entry for 12 months.