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| Bulgarians and Romanians won't flock to Britain, say ambassadors | Bulgarians and Romanians won't flock to Britain, say ambassadors |
| (17 days later) | |
| Up to 35,000 Bulgarians and Romanians will come to Britain to work next year when labour market restrictions on them are lifted, their London diplomats have predicted. | Up to 35,000 Bulgarians and Romanians will come to Britain to work next year when labour market restrictions on them are lifted, their London diplomats have predicted. |
| The Bulgarian ambassador, Konstantin Dimitrov, told MPs that forecasts predicting up to 350,000 new migrants would head to the UK over the next few were "bombastic" and that he expected between 8,000 to 10,000 to travel from his country. | The Bulgarian ambassador, Konstantin Dimitrov, told MPs that forecasts predicting up to 350,000 new migrants would head to the UK over the next few were "bombastic" and that he expected between 8,000 to 10,000 to travel from his country. |
| His Romanian counterpart, Ion Jinga, told the Commons home affairs select committee he expected between 15,000 and 25,000 of his citizens to come to Britain to work in 2014. | His Romanian counterpart, Ion Jinga, told the Commons home affairs select committee he expected between 15,000 and 25,000 of his citizens to come to Britain to work in 2014. |
| Jinga said he did not have a crystal ball but believed the improving state of the Romanian economy, low levels of unemployment and affordable housing would limit the number of people coming to seek work in Britain: "The preferred destination for Romanians is now Romania," he said. | Jinga said he did not have a crystal ball but believed the improving state of the Romanian economy, low levels of unemployment and affordable housing would limit the number of people coming to seek work in Britain: "The preferred destination for Romanians is now Romania," he said. |
| He said the majority of the 80,000 to 100,000 Romanians already working in Britain had come to "fill employment shortages" in industries such as construction. | He said the majority of the 80,000 to 100,000 Romanians already working in Britain had come to "fill employment shortages" in industries such as construction. |
| Dimitrov said the tone of the rhetoric surrounding the debate over the impact of the next wave of European migration to Britain had been "unacceptable and un-European" but he understood it was part of the "domestic political game". | Dimitrov said the tone of the rhetoric surrounding the debate over the impact of the next wave of European migration to Britain had been "unacceptable and un-European" but he understood it was part of the "domestic political game". |
| The UK immigration minister, Mark Harper, said the wide range of estimates being made about the wave of Bulgarian and Romanian migrants demonstrated the difficulties of making an accurate estimate: "In terms of credibility it is better for ministers to say it is not possible to have an accurate forecast. We should treat people as grown-ups and they will understand the complexities," he said. | The UK immigration minister, Mark Harper, said the wide range of estimates being made about the wave of Bulgarian and Romanian migrants demonstrated the difficulties of making an accurate estimate: "In terms of credibility it is better for ministers to say it is not possible to have an accurate forecast. We should treat people as grown-ups and they will understand the complexities," he said. |
| He said predictions of large numbers coming to Britain were based on the assumption there would be a significant movement of Romanian migrants from Spain, which was unfounded: "There is a significant number of Romanians who went to Spain who have remained in Spain when their economy is in difficulties. It does not indicate that they are going to leave Spain and come to Britain," said Harper. | He said predictions of large numbers coming to Britain were based on the assumption there would be a significant movement of Romanian migrants from Spain, which was unfounded: "There is a significant number of Romanians who went to Spain who have remained in Spain when their economy is in difficulties. It does not indicate that they are going to leave Spain and come to Britain," said Harper. |
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