topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2260.23 -0.46
DAX 6788.8 0.59
IBEX 30 8844.4 -0.65
CAC 40 3387.47 -1.09
FTSE 100 5869.22 -0.45
AEX 323.15 -0.61
DJIA 12890.46 0.05
Nasdaq 2927.23 0.39
FTSE MIB 16531.84 -0.73
TSX Composite 12497.94 -0.18
ASX 4322.6 -0.79
Hang seng 20783.86 -1.08
Straits Times 2957.07 -0.81
ISEQ 20 501.64 -0.41
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

Jobs in France

IFAs / FSIs / Country Managers / Confidential Introducers

Immigration and Legal Problems

Blocked Sewer Line outside property boundary - who pays ?

Sporting Events in France

Counter Strike!

Community Noticeboard France | Expat Events

migration to belgium!

Americans in France

Expatriate Events in Paris

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Management culture in France

Management culture in France

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes information on business hierarchy, negotiations, and etiquette.

American associations and clubs in Paris

American associations and clubs in Paris

A listing of organizations in the Paris area that cater primarily to Americans living in France. Updated April 2011.

British associations and clubs in Paris

British associations and clubs in Paris

Our handy guide to the British community in Paris, from cricket clubs to Scottish country dancing lessons to where to find a jar of Marmite.

Anglophone services in France

Anglophone services in France

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in France, from how to open a bank account to Islamic banking and investments.