National Gazette

The European Union operates a continent-wide free market in which all EU citizens are able to move freely through all EU states, often without presentation of a passport, and emigrate to any other nation that it is a member of the EU. Many Western Europeans feared that with the introduction of Bulgaria and Romania, which both have significantly poorer economies than Western members, that there would be a mass migration in search of work and higher quality of living.

This fear, though accused of being xenophobic by liberals, is not entirely without basis. On 1st May 2004 ten nations were added to the EU including other former communist countries Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Most EU members introduced immigration controls to only allow a certain quota of workers from these states but the United Kingdom left its borders open – expecting only between 5,000 and 13,000 migrants – and received a record-breaking migration of 447,000 Eastern Europeans registering for work in the subsequent two years, almost 265,000 from Poland.

Right-wing British tabloids have chastised the British Government for this underestimation in immigrants ever since and have blamed the Eastern Europeans for an increase in the unemployment of young Britons, which rose slightly in 2006 while record numbers of people were in work at the same time. However, there was also a bigoted belief that many Eastern Europeans would claim unemployment benefits from the Government and this proved untrue, fears they would also lengthen queues for public housing also did not occur. Most immigrants were also under 34-years-old and rarely intended to stay in Britain forever, hoping to save money for themselves so they could live well in their home nations or provide for their families. Alarmist reports claim potentially 180,000 Bulgarians and Romanians arriving today, “HIV-infected teenagers, Bulgarian gangsters and child thieves” amongst them.

Despite these realities, by October 2006 the British Government had imposed restrictions on immigration for Bulgaria and Romania before they were added to the EU four months later. This time around only a quota of 20,000 unskilled workers will be allowed into Britain a year and limited to only working in agriculture and food-processing sectors; however the UK continues its open-door policy to highly skilled professionals such as doctors. Visiting Bulgarian and Romanian students will also be free to work, though only part-time, a maximum of 20 hours a week. The British Government has also spent around £28,000 (nearly $55,000) on advertising across television and radio as well as via posters in the new EU nations reminding new members that if they come to the United Kingdom without a work permit they face a fine of £1000.

However, in the past few days since Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU at the beginning of the year the mass migration has failed to appear at London’s Heathrow Airport. British newspaper The Independent noted that the only influx to arrive at the airport terminal related to the new EU states were dozens of journalists flying in from all over the world ready to cover the story of hoards of impoverished Eastern immigrants arriving in the UK desperate for work. Perhaps with some irony, these writers who had come looking for a sensational story, had been misled by alarmist reports of potentially 180,000 Bulgarians and Romanians arriving today, “HIV-infected teenagers, Bulgarian gangsters and child thieves” amongst them. One crestfallen and unscrupulous tabloid photographer told The Independent it was a “complete waste of time. No one wanted to fly. We even offered to help with the fare.”

The migration of workers into Western Europe is now expected mid-January once the Orthodox Christmas is completed and the new budget airline Wizz Air begins on 15th January, offering to take Bulgarians and Romanians to Britain for as little as £35 ($68) rather than the present high cost. Most newspapers now admit the arrival will be slow and steady rather than a frenzied invasion. However, the British Government also refuses to estimate the overall number of immigrants from the new EU nations that will arrive in the UK.

Also on the 1st January, Slovenia, which joined the European Union in 2004 along with other former Eastern Bloc members Poland, Czech and Hungary, is the front runner of these new EU states to adopt the EU currency, the euro, as its national tender.

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