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[size=85:13cjutc8] source The Guardian, Sunday 27 January 2013

Immigration: Romanian or Bulgarian? You won't like it here

Ministers consider launching negative ad campaign in two countries to persuade potential immigrants to stay away from UK

Please don't come to Britain – it rains and the jobs are scarce and low-paid. Ministers are considering launching a negative advertising campaign in Bulgaria and Romania to persuade potential immigrants to stay away from the UK.

The plan, which would focus on the downsides of British life, is one of a range of potential measures to stem immigration to Britain next year when curbs imposed on both country's citizens living and working in the UK will expire.

A report over the weekend quoted one minister saying that such a negative advert would "
correct the impression that the streets here are paved with gold"
.

There was no word on how any advert might look or whether it would use the strategy of making Britain look as horrible as possible or try to encourage would-be migrants to wake up to the joys of their own countries whether Romania's Carpathian mountains or Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts. With governments around the world spending millions on hiring London-based consultants to undertake "
reputation laundering"
there would be a peculiar irony if Britain chose to trash its own image perhaps by highlighting winter flooding of homes or the carnage of a Saturday night A&
E ward.

There are precedents. In 2007, Eurostar ran adverts in Belgium for its trains to London depicting a tattooed skinhead urinating into a china teacup. It remains unknown if any discussions have taken place over personalities who could carry off a similar exercise in anti-nation branding.

On Sunday a Downing Street source said: "
It is true that options are being looked at but we are not commenting on the specific things mentioned ... as obviously it is an ongoing process and we will bring forward any proposals in due course."


The source also said that the government did not think the rule changes would necessarily bring a big influx of people, since Romanians have closer links to Germany and Italy rather than Britain.

Other reported options include making it tougher for EU migrants to access public services. Another is to deport those who move to Britain but do not find work within three months.

The Home Office has not produced an official estimate of how many of the 29 million Romanian and Bulgarian citizens will take advantage of their new freedoms when controls are lifted.

Campaign groups such as MigrationWatch have predicted that 250,000 will come from both countries over the next five years, although these figures are disputed. One Tory MP, Philip Hollobone, has claimed that Romanian and Bulgarian communities will treble to 425,000 within two years.

These figures have been questioned by experts, because they are based upon the numbers of Poles and Czechs who moved to Britain in in 2004. Then, only three countries opened their borders. This time, all of the 25 EU states will lift Labour market restrictions.

Buoyed by Cameron's offer of an in-out referendum, a growing number of Tory MPs now believe the UK should block the lifting of restrictions even if it were to prompt a row with the European commission.

The idea, however tentative, appears to clash with the billions of pounds Britain spent on the Olympics, partly to drive up the country's reputation. It also emerged as the Home Office launched a guide to Britishness for foreigners who would be citizens which opens with the words: "
Britain is a fantastic place to live: a modern thriving society"
.

PM in England can't have it all their own way. They advertised in Polish news papers for the Polish told them they would house them pay their child allowance educate and heal them so they came in the thousands and stayed. Lots of Bulgarians and Romanians have friends and family in Poland as one of the eastern block so they have first habd information on what to do and what to get. Of course they want their slice of the cake. If they want the hassle of living in England then they can have our places. Fair swap i say.

[size=55:18hnciq8]novinite

EU: UK Won't Curb Bulgarian, Romanian Immigration

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has assured Bulgaria and Romania that the UK will not keep its labor market restrictions for their citizens after December 31, 2013.

"
Free movement of workers is one of the fundamental freedoms of the EU Treaty and the

Commission has always attached great importance to ensuring that EU citizens can enjoy

this right without any restrictions,"
Barroso has noted in a letter addressed to Bulgarian MEP Ivaylo Kalfin and Romanian MEP Catalin Ivan.

Ivan and Kalfin sent a letter to Barroso regarding the access of Bulgarians and Romanians to the UK labor market earlier in February

"
As far as Romanian and Bulgarian workers are concerned, I would like to recall that the

Commission has made it clear on several occasions that the restrictions on their access to

the labour markets of other Member States will irrevocably end on 31 December 2013 and

that no Member State can unilaterally extend these restrictions,"
Barroso has declared in his answer.

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding warned Thursday that it will not be possible for Britain to restrict the freedom of movement of Bulgarians and Romanians when transitional controls are lifted..

Missing the point. It is EU policy for everyone in the Community to have the right to work in any EU country they wish. It is for Britain to make the benefit rules. Quite simple really. Immigrants mosly do jobs that many Brits won't or don't want to do. Its these people who milk the system and not the Bulgarians. As has been said, there will not be the huge numbers arriving and you can't deny Bulgarians their rights after all the others have been allowed in just because Britain at last understands what the EU policy is all about and is now sinking under those directives. Nigel whatshisname was being insulting in a sophisticated way in his reply to the Bulgarian lady. As for the corruption in Bulgaria - what about the corruption in Greece, Italy, Spain with their Mafiosa and indeed, do we not also have a more sophisticated corruption amongst our politicians as the press has managed to uncover? Anyway, all this has taken over the headlines about the demise of the Euro controversy and the poor exchange rates which are hitting all expats pockets. Its all so depressing. Plus ca change, plusque la meme chose - the more things change the more they stay the same......
Bravo for Mr Barroso et al who have said just what I have posted. Just read the above report. Sorry.

From today's (Sunday) paper
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... pened.html
I think that a lot of them already here work in the catering and hotel business, and I understand that unemployment in the UK was down last month

oldun wrote:

Missing the point. It is EU policy for everyone in the Community to have the right to work in any EU country they wish. It is for Britain to make the benefit rules. Quite simple really. Immigrants mosly do jobs that many Brits won't or don't want to do. Its these people who milk the system and not the Bulgarians. As has been said, there will not be the huge numbers arriving and you can't deny Bulgarians their rights after all the others have been allowed in just because Britain at last understands what the EU policy is all about and is now sinking under those directives. Nigel whatshisname was being insulting in a sophisticated way in his reply to the Bulgarian lady. As for the corruption in Bulgaria - what about the corruption in Greece, Italy, Spain with their Mafiosa and indeed, do we not also have a more sophisticated corruption amongst our politicians as the press has managed to uncover? Anyway, all this has taken over the headlines about the demise of the Euro controversy and the poor exchange rates which are hitting all expats pockets.

As you say it is the right of any Bulgarian to work in any EU country they want and quite frankly I don't know what all the fuss is about with Cameron. He is more than happy to accept immigrants from countries outside the EU and house them and pay the benefits, so he should stick by the rules and not resist Bulgarians their right to go to the UK and work. There is corruption everywhere in the world including the UK, but the Brits have more experience of covering it up and denying anything has happened. The higher echelons in the UK have a lot to answer for.