RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Free Movement of Labour in the EU

12 days after EU labour markets were liberalised, the feared inflow of Romanian and Bulgarian workers has not happened.

Free Movement of Labour in the EU
Free Movement of Labour in the EU

, 13.01.2014, 13:19

The full liberalisation of the European employment market for Romanian and Bulgarian workers on 1st January has not yet brought about higher demands for jobs in countries such as Germany and Britain, as some had predicted. This preliminary conclusion has eased some of the political tension around this subject.



In Berlin, the authorities are concerned about possible abuses by Romanian and Bulgarian migrants of the German welfare system. Despite the fact that this has not happened yet, the Christian Social Union has adopted a resolution by which people who abuse the welfare system must be expelled and prevented from ever returning to Germany. The German MEP Elmar Brok, a member of the German Democratic Union, even proposed fingerprinting the migrants, an idea harshly criticised by Romania and Bulgaria.



Britain has not seen an influx of east European workers either, following the liberalisation of 1st January, a fact also noted by the London press. The Romanian ambassador to Britain, Ioan Jinga, said in an interview to Radio Romania that while Romanian and Bulgarian citizens are now free to work legally in any European country, they also have the obligation to consider the advantages and risks of their choices.



Ioan Jinga: “I think the decision to work in another country must be based on a rational analysis, also taking into account factors such as the profession, the field in which the person wishes to work, employment opportunities, knowledge of the respective language, the family situation, the financial expectations and the costs of living abroad. Without such an analysis, there is a considerable risk that the new reality does not match expectations. There are cases when Romanians who came to Britain searching for work realise the job supply is not real or not what they expected. No country is an El Dorado. Everywhere you go you have to expect a lot of work and hardship, which means you have to be aware of the risks.”



On the other hand, as the Financial Times notes, the anti-migration rhetoric that has dominated the British media and political discourse over the past few months has alienated many Romanian students, who say they will never work in the UK. In fact, according to official data, 170,186 Romanians emigrated in 2012, which is the lowest figure in the last ten years, while a record number of 176,266 people have decided to return to their native country.

Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe
The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Election campaigns in Romania

    The campaign for the general election in Romania started last week, at midnight on Thursday, and will end on 30 November. During this...

Election campaigns in Romania
November 1 - National Radio Day
Today in the News Friday, 01 November 2024

Radio Romania 96

Radio Romania has celebrated 96 years since it first entered the listeners houses from Romania and abroad. On November 1 1928 the Romanians were able...

Radio Romania 96
(Photo: pixabay@Engin_Akyurt)
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional
Today in the News Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Challenges of an ageing population

Romanians are getting fewer and older.   The population of Romania in mid-2024 was 21,779,000, down 1% compared to June 1, 2023. According to...

Challenges of an ageing population

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company