Migration fever in the UK[fr][de] 

The UK government's original estimate of 5,000 to 13,000 migrant workers from Eastern European countries was corrected to more than 427,000. The Home Office says the real figures might amount to 600,000, as the statistics only cover those voluntarily registered and excludes self-employed. More than half of the workers, some 260,000, come from Poland. 

This is bound to fuel the current debate in the UK, with concerns that the accession of Bulgaria and Romania might cause another wave of immigration. The government is expected to decide whether it will apply the same “open door” policy to workers from the new entrants (see Euractiv 22 August and Euractiv Romania 23 August 2006 ).

Trade and Industry Secretary Alastair Darling had suggested earlier that the government was considering restricting access for Bulgarian and Romanian workers.

Home Office Minister of state Tony McNulty said: “The latest worker registration scheme figures show that migrant workers from the accession states are benefiting the UK, by skills and labour gaps that cannot be met from the UK-born population.”

Liberal Democrat spokesman Ed Davey said there had been difficulties but migrants had brought many positive benefits.

Richard Lambert director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said: “The UK has benefited greatly from the hard work of migrants from new accession countries. But it is only right that the UK takes the time to reflect on the earlier experiences and debates how and when to welcome the next phase”.

Emil Boc, President of the Romanian Democratic Party said to the BBC that "if we want to be treated accordingly, as equal partners in the EU, we can't be treated with half measures in some of the EU countries".

Leonard Orban, state secretary in the Ministry of European Integration, also declared for the BBC: "We are not glad to hear what is happening, especially when we know very well that independent studies have been published, showing that this liberalization of work in Britain for the citizens of the states that joined on May 1st 2004, was beneficial. We have our own question marks: Why in the case of Romania and Bulgaria should things be any different?"