Eastern European arrivals fall

Influx of workers slowing

• Increase image
• View all images

The number of Eastern Europeans applying to work in the UK has fallen to its lowest level since EU accession, according to the latest Home Office statistics.

The figures show that between April and June 2008 there were 40,000 applications to the Worker Registration Scheme from nationals of the eight Eastern European countries that joined the union in 2004.

It is a drop of 14,000 from this time last year and a fall of 9,000 from the first three months of this year.

The number of Bulgarians and Romanians applying to work in the UK has also dropped to its lowest level since they joined the EU in January 2007, with only 7,005 applications for work permits in the last quarter.

Despite the decline in influx, the Local Government Association remains sceptical that the burden on local authorities is lessening. It is lobbying the government for a £250m fund to cover the additional costs of immigration to councils.

An LGA spokesman said: "These latest figures only show that the number of people applying to come and work in the UK from Eastern Europe has fallen. They don't show whether the overall number of people living in the country has also fallen, whether it's increased or whether it's stayed the same.

"Whatever the case, there's still a clear and pressing need for reliable population figures that show how many people live here and whereabouts. More reliable population figures are the only way to ensure that councils get the funding they need to provide the services that local people need."

However, Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow, of the Institute of Public Policy Research, said: "It seems that the immigration tide is turning. Just because we have had high immigration over the last ten years doesn't mean the next ten years will be the same.

The challenge in the next few years will be to attract enough migrant workers with the right skills who can drive economic growth in the UK."