Bulgarian politician Konstantin Dimitrov has defended the legal right for foreigners to have access to the UK labour market and he predicts that only 8,000 migrants will travel to the country when visa restrictions are eased next year.
Mr Dimitrov refuted claims by the pressure group MigrationWatch that up to 70,000 citizens from Romania and Bulgaria will arrive in the UK on an annual basis up to 2019. He has revealed that the individuals that decide to seek a life away are often highly educated and skilled.
“We don't encourage immigration and are hurt by the brain drain of qualified doctors and nurses and financiers and entrepreneurs who move out of the country,” Mr Dimitrov said.
Border controls that limit the amount of migrants that enter the UK from the two Eastern European countries are set to expire next month in line with EU law, and there has been concern from officials, the government and the public that it will have a negative impact on Britain in the long term.
However, Dimitrov believes these people should not be classed as immigrants, as free movement in the European Union is legal: “If you are a member of EU there is competition of all job offers at stake it's a matter of skills, motivation of people and everyone should compete for job offers in an equal basis if every applicant is a citizen of a member of the EU,” Dimitrov concluded.
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