Accession Monitoring Report Published by UK Home Office

The UK Home Office today published the latest migration data from the A8 countries into the UK since the 1st of May 2004 in the Accession Monitoring Report (A8 Countries) May 2004 - March 2007.

Ten countries – Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia – joined the European Union (EU). From that date, nationals of Malta and Cyprus have had full free movement rights and rights to work, throughout the EU. Prior to enlargement, existing EU member states had the right to regulate access to their labour markets by nationals of the other eight countries – the ‘Accession 8’ or ‘A8’. The UK Government put in place transitional measures to regulate A8 nationals’ access to the labour market (via the Worker Registration Scheme) and to restrict access to benefits.  On the 1st of January 2007 Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU, though nationals from these countries were granted limited access to the UK labour market.

The data in the Accession Monitoring Report are based on Management Information, relate to A8 nationals only, are provisional and may therefore be subject to change. The data are not National Statistics.

Key Findings:

• Nationals from the A8 countries continue to come to the UK to work, contributing to the success of the UK economy, while making few demands on our welfare system.
• In total there were 49,000 initial applicants to the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) in Quarter 1 (Q1) 2007, compared to 65,000 in Q4 2006, and 48,000 in Q1 2006.
• A8 workers are continuing to go where the work is, helping to fill the gaps in our labour market, particularly in administration, business and management, hospitality and catering, agriculture, manufacturing and food, fish and meat processing. In Q1 2007, 41% of registered workers applied to work in administration, business and management (which includes employment agencies), compared to 25% in 2004.
• In many cases, A8 nationals are supporting the provision of public services in communities across the UK. In the twelve months up to 31 March 2007, 2,500 A8 nationals have registered as bus, lorry and coach drivers and 5,700 as care workers. 700
as teachers, researchers and classroom assistants, and 200 as dental practitioners (including hygienists and dental nurses). 1,000 GPs, hospital doctors, nurses and medical specialists were also registered between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007.
• Workers applied to work for employers based all over the UK, with the proportion applying to London falling from 15% in Q1 2005 to 11% in both Q1 2006 and Q1 2007. As the proportion applying elsewhere has increased, the Midlands and Anglia have now
overtaken London, with 14% and 13% respectively of the total registered workers in Q1 2007.
• 97% of workers applied to the WRS to work full time.
• 98% of applications for National Insurance numbers made by A8 nationals between May 2004 and March 2007 were for employment purposes.
• The vast majority of workers registering since May 2004 were young: 82% aged between 18 and 34. 93% of workers state that they have no dependants living with them in the UK when they registered and only 4% had dependants under the age of 17 with them.
• The numbers of A8 nationals applying for tax-funded income-related benefits and housing support remain low. For example, 3,442 applications for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance were processed in Q1 2007, of which 848 were allowed to proceed for further consideration, compared to 1,913 and 542 in Q4 2006 and 1,103 and 220 in Q1 2006.