According to Home Office guidances, under rules governed by European Union treaties,residents of the EU
http://www.workpermit.com/uk/eea_swiss.htmshould be given preference over non-EU/EEA when filling vacancies. The NFU is now arguing that agricultural vacancies cannot be filled from only within the EU, and especially only from Bulgarian and Romanian nationals.
The Home Office says they expect SAWS to be filled completely by Romanian and Bulgarian nationals, but the NFU states that they have no evidence to back up this claim.
According to Richard Hirst, horticulture chairman for the NFU, the entire issue is mixed up with the recent political debate on illegal immigration.
"The Home Office is failing to recognize that seasonal work is not attractive to low skilled migrant workers," he said.
"The scheme is absolutely vital, not only to horticulture but other sectors as well and with changes to the gang master rules the demands on numbers are greater than ever. The source of European labor is drying up and we will have a real problem trying to find people to plant and harvest fruit and vegetables, not to mention all the other jobs they do."
Now this is getting out of hand,because UK and Ireland does not give working permits to people who apply for it or are looking for a job
http://easteurope.org.uk/jobs.htm
To me it makes no sense
6,500 Romanians and Bulgarians fail to get work permits
13/04/2007 - 14:20:22
The Green Party has expressed concern about an emerging black economy employing Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants living illegally in Ireland.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.a ... =zy6zx7558
