UNITED KINGDOM: Britons split in view of further immigrations from new European Union countries

Discussions on restricting the access of Romanian and Bulgarian workers to Britain when they become members of the European Union rages on in Britain, with the British public divided in their views on further immigration. The British Conservative party is pushing for stricter controls on the flow of workers from Eastern Europe. It is supported by pressure group Migration Watch UK, who says immigration must be monitored and controlled. It is the large influx of workers from the eight eastern European countries who became members of the EU in 2004 that worries the organisation. On August 22, the British government announced that more than 400,000 east European workers have been allowed to work in Britain since May 2004. The government statistics exclude self-employed workers, because they do not have to register. The government says the number of immigrants was closer to 600,000 when the self-employed workers were added. The figures vastly exceeding predictions have fuelled calls for limits on workers from Bulgaria and Romania. Over 62% of the workers who have arrived are Polish. "The first thing to say is that the numbers are very much greater than we had expected. The government said that the maximum would be 13,000 a year. In fact twenty times that number have arrived. We don't know how many have left yet, but the flow has been very substantial," said chairman of Migrant Watch UK, Sir Andrew Green. The figures have stoked an intense political debate in Britain over the pros and cons of migration from eastern Europe. Green says there are benefits to migration. "Well, I think employers are very pleased. They have found that people from easter Europe and especially the Poles have been very good workers, very skilled, turn up on time and take very often a lower salary than a British worker would take. The problem of course is that for Britain this is competition which is holding wages down and sometimes, not very much yet, but sometimes taking their jobs, and that could lead to difficulty," Green said. The government says east European workers are benefiting Britain by filling skills and labour gaps that cannot be met from the UK-born population. Many Poles fought in Britain during the second world war, with many settling down and developing Polish communities in various places across the country. Ealing in central London has a large Polish community which has further expanded following the opening up of British borders in 2004. "This is the biggest Polish parish in Britain. And after the second world war many Polish people came to England and they establish the communities and new parishes," said farther Mariusz Jarzabek, of the Polish church of Our Lady Mother of the Church, in Ealing. As many as 4,000 people attend the Sunday services in the Roman Catholic church. The majority of parishioners are Polish, but following the expansion of the European Union there has been a slight increase in Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Slovakians and people from the Czech Republic attending Sunday prayers. "People accustomed to have our community in this place and, but I think that many people knows about our community and visit our church, not just Polish people, but English speaking people," Jarzabek added. People living in Ealing have mixed feelings about the benefits of immigration and whether Romanian and Bulgarian workers should be granted free access to Britain's labour market. "I think it is a very difficult problem for the government. But if the countries decide to open market for new incomers for EC. I think there shouldn't be any restrictions at all," said the owner of a Polish shop in Ealing. "Well, its too late now, too late having debates. They knew what would happen a long time ago, and they've allowed it to happen. It's no good shutting the door now, the horse has bolted," said one resident. "They speak good English and do good job and from what you hear, talk to people, they, I mean, they are happy with it. I mean, I come from Sweden and I mean, I'm happy to be here with other people, nationalities, that's what makes Britain so special," said a Polish Swede who has recently moved to London. The government is due to decide later this year whether Bulgaria and Romania will get the same access to Britain's labour market as eastern European countries already members of the EU have had.

ITN Source | August 31, 2006

Tags:. .split. .rages. .register. .catholic. .prayers