Accession immigrants to get work priority

IMMIGRANTS from the 10 EU accession countries will now be given priority when applications for work permits are being considered, Tánaiste Mary Harney announced yesterday.

Roughly 40,000 work permits have been issued annually in recent years. However, with increasing job losses looming the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment earlier this year restricted the categories of professionals allowed to apply for permits.

Yesterday’s announcement is required as part of the EU Accession Treaty, which was signed on April 16, 2003. The treaty obliges member states to give preference to applications from citizens of the 10 states due to officially join the EU in May next year.