France Might Open Labor Market for Bulgarians in Fall

A picture dated August 19 2010, of Romanian Gypsies arriving at Bucharest Airport, Romania, after having accepted voluntary repatriation from France. EPA/BGNES

There is a strong chance for France to open its labor market for Bulgarians as soon as the fall, says the French Senator from the Greens Party, Aline Archimbaud.

Speaking in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, Saturday, the Senator informed that she has submitted a draft proposal in the Senate, calling on the government in Paris to immediately lift the restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens to access her country's labor market.

Currently, the restrictions are effective until January 1, 2014.

"I hope that the Senate vote will happen at the end of September, the beginning of October, as my political group has requested. Actually, we don't even need a new law on the matter. This depends directly on the decision of the cabinet. The Senate resolution is simply the statement of a position, a recommendation, but given the political situation in France, it has great importance," Archimbaud explained.

According to her, the current ban is mostly placing the Bulgarian and Romanian Roma in a disadvantaged position.

The Senator added that it was true that there are 4 million unemployed people in France, but several thousands of Bulgarians and Romanians would not change the situation.

Archimbaud concluded that her and her party would prefer for the emigrants from the two countries to sign legal labor contracts and make social security payments.

"It is much better for France to have legally working people than people working on the black market without paying taxes and insurance," said she.

France, along with the UK, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Malta and Luxembourg, refused to open up its labor market to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals in 2011.

In 2010, France repatriated more than 8 000 Roma to Romania and Bulgaria. Its policy came under fire from Brussels when it appeared that police had been ordered to target Roma camps as they went about tackling irregular migration.

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