Ireland closed to ‘new EU’ migrant workers for 3 years

IRELAND had the second highest inflow of immigrants per head of population in the EU in the heady days of a booming construction industry two years ago.

But with unemployment rising, the Government has indicated it will not open up the country to workers from the EU’s newest members, Romania and Bulgaria, for another three years.

In 2004, Ireland was one of just three countries that gave free access to workers from the countries that joined the EU, and together with Britain, received most of them.

Contrary to some fears at the time, neither Ireland, Britain nor Sweden were swamped with newcomers, as the growing economies were well able to absorb these new workers.

Currently, just four countries — Austria, Belgium, Germany and Denmark — are still closed to people from the eight central and eastern countries, but this must change in 2011.

All the countries, with the exception of Finland and Sweden, have not given access to workers from Romania and Bulgaria.

All the old 15 member states have been allowed up to seven years before they must open their labour markets to those from the newer countries. All of them, except Hungary, take workers from any of the other EU member states.

Figures for 2006 show there was almost one foreigner for every 60 Irish citizens, three times more than the EU average, making Ireland second only to the tiny country of Luxembourg, which had 1.4 for every 60 locals.

The number of immigrants here shot up from less than 1% in 1996 to 12% in 2006.

But the figures for this year so far are painting a much different picture, with immigrants leaving as the job market, especially in construction, continues to contract and the Irish themselves are moving in increasing numbers, to Australia and New Zealand especially.