Sat, Feb 11 2012

Ireland to keep labour market restrictions for Bulgarians and Romanians until 2011

Sun, Mar 08 2009 13:06 CET

bySvetlana Guineva

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Ireland to keep labour market restrictions for Bulgarians and Romanians until 2011

Photo: Anton Popov

Ireland will not lift restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian workers accessing the country's labour market until 2011, private broadcaster bTV reported on March 7 2009.

Conor Lenihan, minister of integration, said in an interview for bTV that there were two reasons for the decision: the economic crisis and the great influx of foreign workers who came to Ireland from the countries that entered the European Union in 2004.

According to latest statistics, more than 420 000 foreigners work in Ireland, out of which 250 000 are from Poland. Bulgarian and Romanian citizens can travel and live in Ireland, but can apply for work only if they have obtained a special working permit, bTV said.

Lenihan said that the unemployment rate in his country is nine per cent. The government explained the reluctance to allow more foreign workers not only with the deepening recession, but also pressure from trade unions and employers' associations.

Apart from Ireland, Germany, Austria and the UK also confirmed that restrictions for Bulgarians and Romanians will remain in effect, bTV reported.

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