| A few interesting facts about Bulgaria | | | | 2004, over half a million workers have joined the UK |
| Until 1989 the country was known as the Peoples | | | | economy with the Poles forming the largest group with |
| Republic of Bulgaria (PRB) and was ruled by the | | | | over 450,000. |
| Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP). By the time the | | | | For all those that come to the UK, pulling up roots from |
| impact of Mikhail Gorbachevs reform program in the | | | | their homeland can be traumatic. It truly is not an easy |
| Soviet Union was felt in Bulgaria in the late 1980s, the | | | | decision to make, and a number of those who leave |
| Communists, like their leader, had grown too feeble to | | | | their native country choose to return, finding that |
| resist the demand for change for long and they | | | | adjusting to a new society is too difficult or that work |
| moved towards democracy. | | | | is not readily available. Many EU nationals come to the |
| Unemployment remained high and when Bulgaria was | | | | UK not speaking English and with very little money in |
| given a chance to join the EU after leaving | | | | their pockets. When they failed to find employment |
| Communisim behind, it jumped at it as it means greater | | | | within a few days due to the availability of jobs and |
| access to markets. Bulgarians associate their dreams | | | | language requirements, many EU nationals have found |
| of European citizenship with the salaries of the | | | | themselves destitute and even homeless. This has |
| Germans, the houses of the French and the holidays | | | | been a problem especially in London. |
| of the Scandinavians. Before joining the EU Bulgaria | | | | The easiest transitions occur when the economic |
| has had to tackle lots of economic and social | | | | migrants can find a community made up of people |
| problems including high crime rates. | | | | from their native country. They can keep a lot of their |
| A few interesting facts about Romania | | | | old customs while integrating the new countries |
| Romania is the largest country in Southeastern Europe | | | | language, values and culture. Experience seems to |
| and borders many countries including Hungary and | | | | indicate that to be happy they need to wholeheartedly |
| Serbia. In 1940 during World War II, Romania was | | | | try to assimilate the new way of life. Many parts of |
| occupied by the Soviet Union, Hungary and Bulgaria | | | | Scotland are welcoming Polish immigrants as the |
| respectively. Romania was then proclaimed a republic, | | | | population is falling and these migrants are needed to |
| and remained under direct military and economic | | | | fill gaps in the workforce. Local churches are also |
| control of the USSR until the late 1950s. | | | | happy as the religious Poles are filling the church pews |
| Following the end of the Cold War in 1989, Romania | | | | once again. Many Poles like it in Scotland as they say |
| developed closer ties with Western Europe, the | | | | that the climate and terrain is similar to home … |
| country quickly applied for membership in the EU in | | | | wet and full of hills! |
| June 1993 and became a member of NATO in 2004. | | | | Some plan to remain in the UK temporarily and send |
| From 2000 onwards, the Romanian economy was | | | | the money back to their family in their country, others |
| transformed into one of relative macroeconomic | | | | wish to remain permanently and strive to own a home |
| stability, characterised by high growth and low | | | | of their own. They learn the new language and |
| unemployment. Almost half of Romanias population is | | | | educate their children in the new ways. |
| still rural. | | | | Migrants have made enormous contributions to the UK |
| What about these workers that are coming to the UK | | | | economy and cultures of their new countries, yet |
| and other European countries? | | | | these are often made with tremendous difficulty. In |
| The European Commission says that the two | | | | 2001 it was calculated that migrants contributed |
| countries rapid growth and highly motivated workforce | | | | £2.5 billion in taxes to the UK economy. |
| will be an asset for the EU economy but is there a | | | | Looking for an Eco Friendly Employer ? |
| need for these workers? Since the EU enlarged in | | | | |