---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Christopher Lawson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Jan 5, 2007 2:20 AM Subject: [romania-economics] How disappointing for the Daily Mail which has been fanning the flames To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Just three Romanians arrive after EU accession by REBECCA CAMBER Last updated at 22:00pm on 1st January 2007 They were expected to arrive in hordes, eager to reach Britain's borders on the promise of prosperity. But when the floodgates opened as Europe embraced its poorer neighbours, Romania and Bulgaria, just three immigrants showed up. These are the first Romanian migrants to arrive in Britain just hours after becoming full EU members. Weighed down with rucksacks holding all their worldly possessions, the young men were beaming from ear-to-ear as they touched down in Heathrow on the first available UK flight yesterday. They had left their families and jobs behind to embark on a new life picking flowers on a Cornwall farm. Cosmin Balaiti, 23, Eugene Forea, 26, and Florea Iohut, 23, are due to start work as farm labourers on Wednesday having secured a six-month contract. Though the part-time students from Bucharest are well-educated and had respectable jobs as a bank mortgage adviser, computer engineer and horticulturist, respectively, they were eager to give it all up to pick flowers and do manual work in Camborne. Cosmin said: "We came here to work. The wages here are amazing compared to Romania. I worked in a bank whilst I studied management at university but it was not a good wage. "We are very excited to arrive in Britain. It's a dream come true. We were all very pleased last night when we saw the Romanian flag on the European flag- it is very good for us. "I want to see Britain and maybe I can travel, but I came here mostly to work." Cosmin is one of the thousands of workers expected to pour into Britain over the next few weeks after one of the poorest corners of Europe, Romania and Bulgaria became the 27th members of the European Union. Many of the 125 passengers on the packed three-hour British Airways flight were only holidaying here. But a handful had come to find work. Mr Forea said: "I am very happy at the moment. I hope to stay here as long as I can. We only have a six month contract at the moment but I hope that I will be good at my job and I can stay." His friend Florea Iohut added: "It will be very worth while coming to Britain because we will make a lot more money here. My family is very happy that I have come, they know it will be a very good experience for us." The first arrivals come after scenes of jubilation in Bulgaria and the Romanian capital, where thousands braved sub-zero temperatures to cheer and dance as the European Flag was lifted. Though Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria's joint population of 30 million are now eligible to travel to any EU country without restriction, Britain has imposed strict quotas on the numbers of those who will be approved for work permits. The Home Office has also launched a last minute £280,000 advertising campaign to discourage workers travelling to Britain without a permit. -- ______________ EuroAtlantic Club monitoring Romania's journey towards the EU http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/ mail to: P.O.Box 13-166, Bucharest 011737 e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
