Comments on: Migrant Workers http://www.irishelection.com/2006/08/migrant-workers/ Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:23:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Immigration: maybe they just don’t like the weather. at Irish Election http://www.irishelection.com/2006/08/migrant-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1771 Immigration: maybe they just don’t like the weather. at Irish Election Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:32:53 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/08/migrant-workers/#comment-1771 [...] With immigration rearing its head again over Bulgaria and Romania joining the EU a survey from the European Citizen Action Service, is quiet interesting it says that Romanian economic migrants tend to travel primarily to Italy (29%), Spain (22%), Germany (13%) and Hungary (6%) while Bulgarians have formed the largest immigrant communities in Greece (200,000), Italy (60,000) and Spain (80,000). Source EU Observer. Considering that since July Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy have opened their borders to immigrants. Maybe this issue is not going to be as big as people think. [...] [...] With immigration rearing its head again over Bulgaria and Romania joining the EU a survey from the European Citizen Action Service, is quiet interesting it says that Romanian economic migrants tend to travel primarily to Italy (29%), Spain (22%), Germany (13%) and Hungary (6%) while Bulgarians have formed the largest immigrant communities in Greece (200,000), Italy (60,000) and Spain (80,000). Source EU Observer. Considering that since July Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy have opened their borders to immigrants. Maybe this issue is not going to be as big as people think. [...]

]]> By: Darren Mac an Phríora http://www.irishelection.com/2006/08/migrant-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1705 Darren Mac an Phríora Tue, 29 Aug 2006 00:31:21 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/08/migrant-workers/#comment-1705 I can't see us opening our doors unrestriced to Bulgarians and Romanians in the short term. We simply will not be able to cope. If the next Govt. can turn around the social and economical gaps in the country than maybe. But as it is the Eastern Europeans are already taking a lot of our jobs, becuase they are better workers that most Irish people. A builder told my Dad recently that he doesn't employ blacks or Irish people because they are not good workers. The Eastern Europeans seem to be the best. There is already massive inequality in the country. If we can sort this out than maybe we can think about letting in as many Bulgarians and Romanians as we want. Go dtí sin, we'll have to restrict their numbers, if we can let in any more at all. I can’t see us opening our doors unrestriced to Bulgarians and Romanians in the short term. We simply will not be able to cope. If the next Govt. can turn around the social and economical gaps in the country than maybe. But as it is the Eastern Europeans are already taking a lot of our jobs, becuase they are better workers that most Irish people. A builder told my Dad recently that he doesn’t employ blacks or Irish people because they are not good workers. The Eastern Europeans seem to be the best.

There is already massive inequality in the country. If we can sort this out than maybe we can think about letting in as many Bulgarians and Romanians as we want. Go dtí sin, we’ll have to restrict their numbers, if we can let in any more at all.

]]> By: Brian Boru http://www.irishelection.com/2006/08/migrant-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1691 Brian Boru Sun, 27 Aug 2006 16:52:37 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/08/migrant-workers/#comment-1691 Adam I'm not sure if you are right about freedom of movement. I am unsure, but I do know that legalising work here will inevitably increase the numbers coming here. Personally I have grave doubts about the wisdom of allowing Romania into the EU, with its 23 million people and a notoriety for people-trafficking. Bulgaria is handing out visas to Macedonians desperate to travel to the West. I think it was a great mistake for the Accession Treaty to only allow a 1 yr delay (to 2008) on their entry. It reduces our leverage to force these countries to meet EU criteria. Bulgaria has also been a target of complaints by Western prosecutors about its refusal or failure to prosecute its mafiosi. Their living-standards, while improving, remain appallingly low by Western standards but also very bad by Eastern European standards. I don't believe we should let these countries into the EU at this time. The Accession Treaty will only come into force when all members ratify it, and while a referendum is not required for this I'd rather one was held. Germany is apparently threatening not to ratify (which it must do by December if the Accession Treaty isn't to be scuppered). I think Enlargement fatigue has set in around Europe (at least the West) and the elites need to listen for once. I am glad therefore that the govt is planning restrictions. But Enda Kenny has already told Ursula Halligan on "The Political Party" that he will open our borders to these countries. I think its crazy and will probably be used by FF canvassers on the doorsteps to great effect next year unless he reverses position pronto. Adam I’m not sure if you are right about freedom of movement. I am unsure, but I do know that legalising work here will inevitably increase the numbers coming here. Personally I have grave doubts about the wisdom of allowing Romania into the EU, with its 23 million people and a notoriety for people-trafficking. Bulgaria is handing out visas to Macedonians desperate to travel to the West. I think it was a great mistake for the Accession Treaty to only allow a 1 yr delay (to 2008) on their entry. It reduces our leverage to force these countries to meet EU criteria. Bulgaria has also been a target of complaints by Western prosecutors about its refusal or failure to prosecute its mafiosi. Their living-standards, while improving, remain appallingly low by Western standards but also very bad by Eastern European standards. I don’t believe we should let these countries into the EU at this time. The Accession Treaty will only come into force when all members ratify it, and while a referendum is not required for this I’d rather one was held. Germany is apparently threatening not to ratify (which it must do by December if the Accession Treaty isn’t to be scuppered). I think Enlargement fatigue has set in around Europe (at least the West) and the elites need to listen for once. I am glad therefore that the govt is planning restrictions. But Enda Kenny has already told Ursula Halligan on “The Political Party” that he will open our borders to these countries. I think its crazy and will probably be used by FF canvassers on the doorsteps to great effect next year unless he reverses position pronto.

]]> By: Killian http://www.irishelection.com/2006/08/migrant-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1680 Killian Sat, 26 Aug 2006 19:36:58 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/08/migrant-workers/#comment-1680 Wonder what effect this will have on a slowing housing market? Will have to wait until the EU Comission meet in October to make a decision on the Jan 1 entry date, after Romania but more severly Bulgaria got their knuckles rapped earlier in the summer on their prepardness. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0214en01.pdf Wonder what effect this will have on a slowing housing market?

Will have to wait until the EU Comission meet in October to make a decision on the Jan 1 entry date, after Romania but more severly Bulgaria got their knuckles rapped earlier in the summer on their prepardness.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0214en01.pdf

]]> By: Adam http://www.irishelection.com/2006/08/migrant-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-1679 Adam Sat, 26 Aug 2006 16:26:28 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/08/migrant-workers/#comment-1679 There's a debate going on on the Politics forum of Boards.ie about imposing work restrictions on EU citizens; the problem is that all the work restrictions in the world can't stop people traveling to other EU countries; there is still a freedom of movement that is central to the European project. What that essentially means is that people will travel here and join the black-market work force; it's already happened in the 12 other "old EU" countries that imposed restrictions on the 10 new states in 2004. Indeed the actual effect has been that the likes of Ireland, the UK and Sweden have gotten the educated Polish workers who have something to offer while the less educated masses went for the labour-intensive jobs in the EU black market. Apparently even if someone from Poland was caught working in, say Germany illegally they can only be deported; at which point they can return freely as "tourists" and start all over again. At least with the freedom to work we have documented immigrants who pay taxes and contribute to the economy There’s a debate going on on the Politics forum of Boards.ie about imposing work restrictions on EU citizens; the problem is that all the work restrictions in the world can’t stop people traveling to other EU countries; there is still a freedom of movement that is central to the European project.
What that essentially means is that people will travel here and join the black-market work force; it’s already happened in the 12 other “old EU” countries that imposed restrictions on the 10 new states in 2004. Indeed the actual effect has been that the likes of Ireland, the UK and Sweden have gotten the educated Polish workers who have something to offer while the less educated masses went for the labour-intensive jobs in the EU black market. Apparently even if someone from Poland was caught working in, say Germany illegally they can only be deported; at which point they can return freely as “tourists” and start all over again.
At least with the freedom to work we have documented immigrants who pay taxes and contribute to the economy

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