The UK will impose restrictions on the number of Bulgarian and Romanian migrant workers for a transitional time period, UK ambassador to Bulgaria Jeremy Hill said on October 24.

Nationals of the two countries will be able to find jobs under two low skill migration schemes, a highly skilled workers’ scheme, a part time student workers’ scheme for students studying in UK universities and a self-employed businessmen scheme.

Up to 19 750 workers from both countries will be able to find low skilled jobs in seasonal agriculture and in the food processing, under 100 will be able to get highly skilled jobs but only in areas experiencing labour hand deficit. Highly skilled workers will also need to pass qualification tests.

The numbers of Bulgarians and Romanians allowed to work in the UK under the low-skilled workers’ scheme will be subject to an annual review.

Industry representatives will be consulted on whether similar schemes are needed in other low-skill sectors, Hill said.

Romanian and Bulgarian students studying in UK will be allowed to work up to 20 hours part-time, provided that they are enrolled in an educational institution registered with the UK department of education and learning, Hill said.

Self-employed businessmen will be able to set up business if they can prove that they are genuinely self-employed and not disguised employees or employees posing as contractors, Hill said.

The UK will open its labour market gradually and the decision to do so will depend on labour hand need, on the impact of the previous accession and on the positions adopted by other member states, Hill said.

More than 427 000 workers arrived in the UK with the 2004 EU accession wave of ten countries, Hill said. That created pressures on the UK society and labour market that need to be assessed in detail before the market can be opened, Hill said.

Hill said that the UK strongly supported Bulgaria’s and Romania’s accession to the EU on January 1, 2007.