UK Policy Archives

JCWI calls for government to keep its promises to accession country workers (23 February 2004)

Leading immigrant rights group calls the for the government to stand firm on its commitments to nationals of the accession states

The UK’s leading immigration rights organisation, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, has called on the Government to stand firm on its commitments to extend employment rights to nationals of the accession states after the 1st May.

JCWI Chief Executive Habib Rahman stated, “We have supported the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, in his fight to ensure that the government keeps its promise to people from the new EU member states after the date of accession. However it is clear that there has been a tussle within the Cabinet to renege on important aspects of these promises and the result is that the situation is now becoming very confused.

“For example, the Home Secretary has announced a new work registration scheme which appears to require employers to record the fact that they have accession country nationals on their books. But what will be the effect of an employer failing to register such workers? Does the Government intend that they should then be deemed ‘illegal’ workers and subject to penalties? Or will they be allowed to remain in employment, but the employers paying a price for not obeying the regulations?

“The Government appears not to have consulted anyone over this, and there is now a state of great confusion on exactly what the procedures will be in operation in just nine weeks time.

“It is impossible to be happy with the way the so-called curb on benefits for accession national workers will work after 1st May. The Government intends that they will be barred from receipt of benefits for at least two years. But we are concerned that this will be discriminatory. The EC Treaty outlaws discrimination against citizens of EC member states, and there is no transitional period for the strict requirement that all EC national workers receive equal treatment with British nationals in the field of social benefits.”

Mr Rahman said, “We are keen to work with Government to ensure that the extension of free movement rights to nationals of the new member states is a success, but there is increasing confusion about the way the proposed regulations will work.

“There is now great consternation on the part of the immigration welfare organisations on how to advise the new nationals, and we would expect that tens of thousands of employers will also be asking questions about what is expected of them. On top of this, we expect more problems when benefits agency staff are given new directions on how to implement what are in danger of being highly discriminatory rules against the workers.”

Mr Rahman concluded by asking the Government to give serious thought to the impact of its plans, and to avoid creating a difficult and confused situation. “The bottom line is that the new EC nationals will have rights after 1st May, and they will be entitled to expect the British Government properly respects them. It is still not too late to revert to its original plans to create full free movement on the accession date, and to work with all parties to make the accession of the new member states a big success."