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Romanian and Bulgarian migration: UK worker numbers show dip 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. The number of Romanians and Bulgarians working in the UK has fallen by 4,000 since employment restrictions were lifted in January but is up 29,000 compared with a year ago, figures show.
This was down by 4,000 on the final quarter of 2013, but up by 29,000 compared with the same time last year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show 140,000 employed in the UK between January and March 2014.
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 figures show the number of people employed in the UK by country of birth.
'Inflammatory rhetoric''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 lifting of temporary restrictions placed on Romanian and Bulgarian migrants when they joined the European Union in 2007.
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."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."
UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the figures showed "another huge increase" in foreign workers.UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the figures showed "another huge increase" in foreign workers.
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.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.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.""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."
Partners and childrenPartners and children
Sir Andrew Green, of Migration Watch, said he stood by the 50,000 figure, which included partners and children of those seeking work.Sir Andrew Green, of Migration Watch, said he stood by the 50,000 figure, which included partners and children of those seeking work.
"The latest figures suggest there'll be a continuing flow of Romanians and Bulgarians but they don't tell us much about the scale of the flow," he said."The latest figures suggest there'll be a continuing flow of Romanians and Bulgarians but they don't tell us much about the scale of the flow," he said.
Oxford University's Migration Observatory said there were usually more workers from the two countries in the first three months of a year than the last three months of the previous one.Oxford University's Migration Observatory said there were usually more workers from the two countries in the first three months of a year than the last three months of the previous one.
Dr Carlos Vargas-Silva, a senior researcher at the observatory, said the workforce figures were a "valuable first step" but that the long-term implications of lifting the restrictions were still not known.Dr Carlos Vargas-Silva, a senior researcher at the observatory, said the workforce figures were a "valuable first step" but that the long-term implications of lifting the restrictions were still not known.
Bulgarians and Romanians gained the right to visa-free travel to the UK in 2007, when their countries joined the EU. But there were temporary restrictions on the kind of jobs they could take. These expired on 1 January 2014.
The government has recently introduced measures limiting the amount of out-of-work benefits migrants from the European Union can claim.
Are you Romanian or Bulgarian and working in the UK? Are you from another Central or Eastern European nation? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, using the subject line 'Working in the UK'.