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| Romanian and Bulgarian migration: UK worker numbers show dip | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| There were 140,000 Romanians and Bulgarians employed in the UK in the first three months after visa controls were lifted, figures show. | There were 140,000 Romanians and Bulgarians employed in the UK in the first three months after visa controls were lifted, figures show. |
| This was down by 4,000 on the final quarter of 2013, but up by 28,000 compared with the same time last year. | This was down by 4,000 on the final quarter of 2013, but up by 28,000 compared with the same time last year. |
| On 1 January, Bulgarians and Romanians gained the same rights to work in the UK as other EU citizens. | On 1 January, Bulgarians and Romanians gained the same rights to work in the UK as other EU citizens. |
| The Office for National Statistics figures show the number of people employed in the UK by country of birth. | The Office for National Statistics figures show the number of people employed in the UK by country of birth. |
| 'Inflammatory rhetoric' | |
| The government has not said how many new arrivals it expects as a result of the visa changes. | The government has not said how many new arrivals it expects as a result of the visa changes. |
| The pressure group Migration Watch estimated the UK could expect 50,000 arrivals a year from the two countries and the UK Independence Party predicted large numbers of new immigrants. | The pressure group Migration Watch estimated the UK could expect 50,000 arrivals a year from the two countries and the UK Independence Party predicted large numbers of new immigrants. |
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander says the data "gives the lie to UKIP's scaremongering on immigration". | Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander says the data "gives the lie to UKIP's scaremongering on immigration". |
| He said: "The very modest number of Romanians and Bulgarians coming to work in Britain this year is in stark contrast to the inflammatory rhetoric of earlier this year." | |
| The BBC's home editor Mark Easton said a "huge wave" of new arrivals clearly hadn't happened in the first three months of the year. | |
| But he said it was too early to get a full picture of the numbers that would move. | |
| "This is just the first three months, there may be all sorts of reasons why that number is not as high as some people predicted." | |
| Are you Romanian or Bulgarian and working in the UK? Have you arrived since 1 January this year? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, using the subject line 'Working in the UK'. |