Romania Mocks Britain On Immigration

Romania and Bulgaria both become full European Union members (regarding the right to work) next year and the UK government is reportedly mulling plans to discourage a mass migration to Britain. In response to those reports, a Romanian ad campaign has launched in which Britain's cuisine and climate are mocked.

UPDATE: A reader clarifies that Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007 but that it's not until next year when full membership kicks in and citizens of both nations may work in Britain and eight other countries.

Belgium and eight other EU member states -- Germany, Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Holland, Austria, the UK and Malta -- agreed in December 2011 with the European Commission (EC) to prolong work restrictions for Romania and Bulgaria until January 2014.  Italy and the Czech Republic lifted all restrictions, while Spain initially kept its market open for the two countries' workers, but decided last summer to restrict their access.  "The Commission has clearly asked the countries that want to keep the restrictions to also present the grounds, include in their notifications concrete data and pertinent arguments," Michael Jennings, the EC spokesperson said. The nine countries cited high unemployment rate to justify continued restrictions for Romanians and Bulgarians. By 2014, all EU member states must lift restrictions for the citizens of the two countries that joined the EU in 2007. A total of 16 EU member states have liberalised their work market for Romanians and Bulgarians to date.

A petition has been launched demanding that the British government extend the work restriction by another five years.