Romanians Fight Integration Hardships
June 1st, 2007
Romanian citizen are free to visit Britain but not all have the right to work here.
"They are being discrimated by British immigration policy", said Simona Tatulescu-Cighir, head the Romanian Community Centre of London, even though Romania entered the EU three months ago.
Indeed, migrants from Romania are experiencing the first restrictions set up by Britain on the job market open to European migrants.
Since January, a quota of 20,000 Romanian and Bulgarian workers has been established to allow them to take up low-skilled jobs in agriculture or food processing, while high-skilled workers are now able to apply for work permits, and students can work part-time. Self-employed people are the last ones to be allowed to work.
"Accessing the Union has been a relief in a sense," says Tatulescu. "It means that Romanian people will not be expelled anymore, but in terms of working organisation, it is just a nightmare."
She is worried about the illegal market becoming the only resource for some arrivants, or the lack of a legal framework preventing the exploitation of self-employed workers.
"I don't see how effective this policy is. People are coming anyway. Who is benefiting from that if they are badly or not employed at all?" she asks.
The Romanian community center provides language support and housing advice, but according to Tatulescu, this is not enough as people arriving "ignore everything about the system."
The Home Office claims that before Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU, the government set up an information campaign including overseas drop-in centres, a telephone hotline, a website and leaflets in Bulgarian and Romanian, "emphasising the realities of life in the UK - in particular misconceptions about access to benefits."
But once in London new migrants appear lost. In most cases, the only help they can find is provided by their own community.
"We're looking for people more experienced who have already been through the system to help those arriving," says Isabella Aldea, 31-year-old teacher and webmaster of the Romanca society, a cultural organisation based in London. "It is not easy but necessary to find people who have time to work for free," she adds, pointing out that getting advices from a solicitor is very expensive.
Aldea promotes a form of self-organisation of the Romanian community. However, integration is also a priority: "We want to stimulate Romanian migrants by showing them opportunities they can get from living in Britain." She manages artistic and educational events in English, to make "parents realise the chances their children will have practicing two languages."
Her goal of "maintaining the Romanian culture by promoting openness" is shared by Ionela Flood who runs the Romanca society and is more optimistic on the perspectives offered to new Romanians arriving in Britain.
Flood is enthusiastic about her activities and the development of other associations such as the Romanian cultural Centre. Since the arrival of Romania on the EU scene, she says she can afford more ambitious projects, such as "film festivals, concerts, and a lot of parties as well!"
"We are officially here," she says, with a smile. But she does not regret living in London since she has been "learning freedom here."
