Belgium plans to lift restrictions on workers from most of the new EU member states – the latest to do so in the 27-nation bloc.
But it will keep restrictions in place for workers from Bulgaria and Romania, the newest EU members, which joined on 1 January 2007.
UK
The UK was one of the three countries, along with Ireland and Sweden, to place no restrictions on workers from the 2004 entrants. However, workers have to register and only become eligible for benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and income support after working continuously in the UK for at least a year.
After an unexpectedly large influx of workers from Central Europe – an estimated 600,000 in two years – the UK announced that it would impose restrictions on workers from Bulgaria and Romania.
Up to 20,000 are allowed to take low-skilled jobs in agriculture or food processing, high-skilled workers are able to apply for work permits to perform a skilled job, and students are able to work part-time. Self-employed people from Bulgaria and Romania are already allowed to work in the UK, and this will continue.
