Job market partially opens to Romanians and Bulgarians

"Following the controversy over the dismantling of Roma camps, the government wants to provide guarantees of appeasement," says French daily Le Monde. Criticised for its repressive policies toward the Roma – essentially Romanians and Bulgarians – the government has adopted a more flexible attitude. Responding to the demands of groups that aim to improve the precarious situation of the 15,000 non-French Roma living in France, it was decided, the newspaper says –

to lift 'interim measures' – requiring a job permit and an employer tax reference – that restrict access to the job market for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, where most of the Roma in France originate. Job access remains limited to 150 sectors with shortages.

Other European Union countries introduced similar measures (they are still applied in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Malta, United Kingdom and Luxemburg) in an effort to protect themselves from possible flooding of the job market. The measures are applied to all Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, of which about 10 per cent are estimated to be Roma.

As to whether the measures will work or not, Le Monde looks at experiences in Spain and Italy where the interim measures were lifted –

For some, the lifting of restrictions was like becoming documented, says the academic [Grégoire Cousin, a specialist in Roma immigration]. But for others, police monitoring became more frequent, "employers continue to pay them off the books." Lifting the interim measures in France should, therefore, not "change very much for the most precarious," says Mr Cousin. However, it could help "heads of families" and the most resourceful.