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Press Release

Business fears a mess over new EU entrants

Tuesday 24 October 2006

The Federation of Small Businesses today slammed proposals by the Home Secretary John Reid to place restrictions on people from Romania and Bulgaria who wish to come to the UK to work.

The FSB has accepted that the Government agreed to allow the two countries to become EU members. However, small firms are concerned that the pressure that will now be put on businesses to monitor who is a legal worker from the two nations will be too much to bear.

All Bulgarian and Romanian nationals will be allowed to come to the UK but, under the Government’s proposals, only a small number will be given the right to work. This will mean that businesses will be forced to check on who is and who is not a legal worker from these countries.

John Walker, FSB National EU Affairs Chairman, said:

“The Government agreed to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the EU. For it to now want to put up barriers to that entry makes no sense.

“Under this proposal anyone from the two new member states will be able to come to Britain but not all will be given the right to work. It will create a mess and employers will be caught in the middle of it.

“Businesses will not accept being asked to become pseudo-immigration officers by the Government. After treating the previous new entrants in one way, which was clear for all to deal with, the differing treatment for Bulgarian and Romanian workers is unfair to them and to small businesses.”



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Federation of Small Businesses

Federation of Small Businesses

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