£1,000 fines for 'illegally working' new immigrants » Central Government » 24dash.com

Romanians and Bulgarians caught working illegally in Britain after their countries join the European Union will face a £1,000 on-the-spot fine, it was revealed today.

The Home Office's threat of tough penalties was part of a package designed to reassure the public that a vast new wave of immigration will not be triggered by January 1's EU expansion.

The number of low-skilled migrants from the two ex-Soviet Bloc states will be capped at less than 20,000 a year.

However, an unpredictable number will be free to work here on a self-employed basis and will not require visas.

A group which has campaigned since 2001 against mass immigration, Migrationwatch UK, welcomed Home Secretary John Reid's announcement as a "turning point", but added that it was only a "tiny step forward".

Sofia reacted angrily to news of the constraints on its citizens and threatened tit-for-tat restrictions on Britons.

Bulgarian foreign ministry spokesman Dimitar Tsanchev said: "We will discuss the possibility to impose reciprocal restrictions on Britain, as well as on other EU member states that restrict the free movement of labour.

"We think that such a decision will put us on an unequal footing with the 10 member states that joined in 2004."

Low-skilled workers from outside Europe will no longer be eligible to apply to existing work permits schemes which will be reserved for people from Romania and Bulgaria, known as "A2" nationals.

They will initially only be able to work in the food processing and agricultural sectors, with numbers limited to 19,750 a year.

"Employers will need to convince the Government there is a genuine labour shortage and such schemes would be limited by quota," Mr Reid said.

"We look forward to welcoming Romanian and Bulgarian workers here, provided that they comply with our rules and obey the law."

Sources said the fines for A2 immigrants caught working illegally would be up to £1,000.

Mr Reid added: "It will also be an offence for an employer to take on undocumented A2 nationals. This will be punishable by a heavy fine.

"Employing illegal workers undercuts legitimate business and leads to exploitation. It will not be tolerated."

The types of Romanian and Bulgarian worker allowed into Britain will be:

:: Low-skilled to work in food processing and agriculture - capped at 19,750 a year;

:: Those who qualify for the highly-skilled migrant programme - currently just under 100 a year;

:: Students enrolled at an approved college will be able to work part-time - last year these groups totalled 1,213;

:: People with specialist skills which cannot be met by resident labour, provided they meet tests on qualifications and earnings - this group numbered 1,740 last year;

:: The self-employed - but there are no predictions available on how many may fall into this category.

All these groups total 22,800, excluding the self-employed.

This was thought to indicate the minimum number of Romanians and Bulgarians expected to come to the UK next year.

Previous estimates have said self-employed migrants in the last wave of EU expansion make up an additional third of the overall total.

If this were applied to the current A2 figures, it would give a total of 30,400 Romanians and Bulgarians coming to the UK.

This figure does not allow for any accelerated increase in migration after January 1, and also ignores the fact that the largest category of low-skilled workers will be limited by quota.

Migrationwatch has predicted 300,000 arrivals from Romania and Bulgaria over 20 months unless access to the labour market is restricted.

In comparison, left-wing think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research put the figure at 56,000 in the first year.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said the Government's announcement lacked detail.

"Mr Reid has merely slipped out a limited written statement designed to deal with tomorrow's headlines but which leaves several important questions unanswered," he said.

"This is a vitally important area of policy that will affect the economy, public services and community relations.

"If Mr Reid continues to absent himself from any proper debate, we will continue to have a Government that is quite simply divided and paralysed."

Migrationwatch chairman Sir Andrew Green said: "This is not a U-turn but it is a turning point.

"The Government have at last recognised that the present massive level of immigration is unsustainable, placing huge burdens on our society for very little economic benefit.

"These measures are a tiny step forward but they fall far short of an annual limit on immigration, which is now supported by 75% of the British public."

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said barring non-EU low-skilled workers from visa schemes could drive some into the black economy and the hands of exploitative gangmasters.

"This complex scheme is asking a lot in terms of enforcement from an Immigration and Nationality Directorate which Mr Reid has branded unfit for purpose," he added.

In a written statement to MPs, Mr Reid admitted there had been some "transitional impacts" from the last round of EU expansion.

He said: "A small number of schools have seen a significant increase in admissions.

"Some local authorities have reported problems of overcrowding in private housing.

"There have been cost pressures on English language training. Therefore, the Department of Communities and Local Government will audit local areas and work to meet isolated and specific pressures", Mr Reid said.

The Department for Education and Skills will also provide £400,000 to support schools with limited experience of teaching English to new migrant pupils.

All new arrangements will be reviewed within 12 months.

Latest figures show that 427,000 people arrived in Britain from Poland and the seven other ex-Communist states which joined the EU in May 2004, but the figure may be 600,000 including self-employed.

Original official estimates said there would be no more than 5,000 to 13,000 arrivals a year.

Copyright Press Association 2006