Statistics on the recent immigration of Romanians
The latest sociological and demographic data show that Romanians migration towards Western countries is causing little to no trouble in destination countries.
Bogdan Matei, 09.07.2014, 13:01
A commonplace in the xenophobic discourse of most populist parties in the West, the threat posed by Romanian immigrants has rather a mythical aura about it than any real substance. Criticized by both public press and officials in Italy, France, the Netherlands and the UK, the so-called “invasion” of Romanians, seen as more likely to determine an increase in local crime rates and live off social welfare, has been dismissed by the latest sociological studies in the field.
As compared to the large majority of people who earn an honest living, crime is a completely marginal phenomenon. Following its EU accession on January 1, 2007, when its citizens could now travel freely in European space, Romania has constantly exported high-skilled workers to Europe’s most prosperous countries.
A recent study conducted by the European Institute in Bucharest reveals that the percentage of Romanians who have migrated abroad recently is much lower than what Western countries had estimated, while those who did emigrate were well-trained people with higher studies and good professional qualifications, who had no trouble accessing the local labour market. State Secretary with the Romanian Labour Ministry Codrin Scutaru has expressed concern regarding this exodus of highly trained people, leaving behind a soaring shortage of specialists.
“Romanians seeking employment abroad usually have an undergrad or post-grad degree, or a technical expertise that Romanian economy would very much benefit from. There are over two million Romanian nationals employed abroad, and this has contributed to a drop in the country’s population. We should not ignore the impact of the free mobility of highly-skilled jobseekers on Romanian economy”.
The authors of the study also debunk certain myths regarding the downside of employing foreign labour force. The study shows that any foreign national working legally contributes to economic growth. Upon his visit to Bucharest, former European Parliament president Hans-Gert Pottering seemed to share the same idea, arguing that the European Union should not restrict the freedom of movement of its citizens, which brings great benefits to Member States. “The free movement of people and workers is important, it represents the foundation of the European internal market. Surely we must prevent the exploitation of social welfare systems and the people who abuse them. But wherever people work lawfully, we shouldn’t impose labour market restrictions”, Hans-Gert Pottering also said.
