topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2252.19 -0.81
DAX 6736.16 -0.78
IBEX 30 8843.4 -0.66
CAC 40 3407.85 -0.49
FTSE 100 5879.46 -0.27
AEX 322.91 -0.68
DJIA 12890.46 0.05
Nasdaq 2927.23 0.39
FTSE MIB 16617.9 -0.22
TSX Composite 12497.94 -0.18
ASX 4322.6 -0.79
Hang seng 20783.86 -1.08
Straits Times 2956.44 -0.83
ISEQ 20 501.51 -0.44
You are here: Home News European News No massive migration from new to old EU states

European News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


18/11/2008No massive migration from new to old EU states

A latest report by the European Commission shows an increasingly small amount of workers from the newer member states moving to the older states.

18 November 2008

BRUSSELS - Contrary to popular belief, the European Union's expansion towards central and Eastern Europe has not sparked a massive influx of Polish plumbers or Bulgarian builders to the bloc's richest nations, figures released on Tuesday show.

According to the European Commission's latest report, an increasing number of workers from the EU's 12 newest member states have been relocating to Germany or Britain since being allowed to move freely around the 27-member bloc. However, their numbers remain small in relative terms.

In fact, the EU's richer nations continue to receive a far higher share of foreign immigrants from the developing world.

The number of Bulgarians and Romanians who found a job in one of the EU's 15 older member states grew to 1.6 million in 2007, up from 1.3 million in 2006 - when those two countries were not yet part of the EU. Most of them are bounded for Spain and Italy.

Bulgarians and Romanians account for just 0.4 percent of the total population of the EU's richest nations, compared to 0.3 percent in 2006.

Meanwhile, citizens from Poland and the other nine countries that joined the EU in 2004 now account for 0.5 percent of the resident population of the EU's richest nations, up from 0.3 percent in 2004. Of the 2 million who have left their home countries, most have moved to Ireland and Britain.

By contrast, the number of non-EU citizens now living in the EU-15 has increased from 14 million in 2003 to 17.4 million in 2007.

Concerns about the invasion of "polish plumbers" - a symbol of cheap labour - are thought to have played a major role in convincing many French to vote "no" in 2005 in a referendum on the now defunct EU constitution.

But commission figures show that the share of foreign residents from new EU member states has remained stable at 0.1 percent since 2003.

Officials in Brussels were expected to conclude on the basis of the report that enlargement has not lead to major disturbances to the labour markets of the EU's richest member states.

Despite this, Austria and Germany are still considering extending limits on the influx of workers from some of the new EU countries.

[dpa / Expatica]


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

English in Belgium

ascent of language in belgium

Family in Belgium

Question about summer program/camp in Belgium

Healthcare in Belgium

How to find a good Physio and optometrist?

Jobs in Belgium

IFAs / FSIs / Country Managers / Confidential Introducers

Housing in Belgium

Flatmate Wanted as from mid February – SPACIOUS DUPLEX/PENTHOUSE

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Looking for work in Belgium

Looking for work in Belgium

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.

Learning to cope with life abroad

Learning to cope with life abroad

The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.