Restricted access - State must fulfil duty to immigrants

BY ANY yardstick, the Government’s decision not to allow free access to the Irish labour market for migrants from Romania and Bulgaria after they join the EU goes against the spirit of the Euro club.

Arguably, however, the Republic had little choice since Britain declared it would restrict their entry. As the only other English-speaking state in the EU, Ireland would trigger a flood of migration through an open door policy.

Organised crime and corruption flourish in Bulgaria and Romania. But according to Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin, the decision to introduce work permits stemmed from the huge inflow of migrants after 10 states joined the EU in 2004.

Undoubtedly, the economy gained massively from the influx of foreign workers who now make up 10% of the Irish workforce. Having lowered the portcullis, Government must now deliver on its pledge to address the integration needs of migrant workers and their dependents. With 250,000 foreign workers, Ireland has a bounden duty to address their social, welfare, and educational needs.

While the move to restrict access of Bulgarian and Romanian migrants is bound to raise questions regarding human rights and the free movement of labour within the EU, practical considerations dictate that a small nation like Ireland cannot easily assimilate substantial numbers of foreign workers.

Clearly, however, the work permit decision should be kept under review and so Mr Martin’s promise to revisit the issue in 2008 is to be welcomed.