A European Commission report on migrant workers - published today - shows that among the member states, Ireland has the highest percentage of workers from the ten new EU states in its workforce.
But overall it shows that non-nationals as a percentage of the workforce is the same in Ireland as the rest of the EU fifteen.
When the ten new states joined the EU, the 15 old states were allowed to restrict the number of migrant workers coming from the East for up to seven years. 12 chose to do this, mainly through a work permit system. Ireland, Britain and Sweden opted to open their labour markets immediately.
Reviewing the first two years of the transition to a fully open labour market across the EU, the European Commission claims the predicted flood of workers from the East has not materialised. It says the flows have been so small that they have not affected the EU labour market, and calls on states to seriously consider if restrictions are really necessary.
The report says the work permit system is in fact encouraging migrant workers to operate in the black economy. It says Ireland, Britain and Sweden have benefited from their open systems, as the migrant workers are operating above board, and are thus more easily regulated.
The report shows that while Ireland has the same percentage of non-nationals in its workforce as other EU 15 states, most of the country's migrant workers come from inside the European Union, while other western European states have recruited extra workers from Africa, Turkey and Asia.
Meanwhile, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has called on the 15 old European nations to 'have courage' in facing up to problems connected with the 10 new members, notably free circulation of labour and in the service sector.
Mandelson called on European Union member countries to follow Ireland's, Sweden's and Britain's example in welcoming workers from the new member states.
