Comments on: Seven Down, Eight to Go

By: Doug (Merrill)

Doug (Merrill) — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:50:51 +0000

Good point, Richard. The traffic down the A9 from Thueringen every Monday morning–and back again every Friday–suggests there’s a massive number of people from eastern Germany working in the Munich area. I’m not always good at picking up on the accent, but significant numbers of service-sector jobs are also filled by people from the former GDR.

Doug, the various building trade associations and unions probably have estimates. Though to get good numbers, what you’d probably have to do is a lot of spade work in terms of actual building projects versus what was declared as sales by German-staffed (i.e., mostly unionized) firms. Any of your corporate contacts willing to pay for that research? *g*

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 31 May 2006 23:11:55 +0000

While it was mooted that new member immigrants would not get social welfare in Ireland before the gates were opened to them, it has not infact come to pass. Apparently it would have been illegal.

By: dutchmarbel

dutchmarbel — Wed, 31 May 2006 22:31:36 +0000

It’s also worth noting that none of the original 6 founding members of the EEC - that’s the 6 countries that originally came up with the free movement of labour idea - have opened up yet.

The Netherlands will open the borders in six months.

By: Fergus

Fergus — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:18:24 +0000

Even though, as you say, Ireland added some impedance, we have seen alot of immigration, the most we have ever had so it seems this did not make much difference.

By: Luís

Luís — Wed, 31 May 2006 17:16:39 +0000

I reckon portugal did the right move here.

…our economy sucks so bloody much we’ll be the ones emigrating to Poland/Czech/Hungary/etc soon anyhow, so might as well be nice to them.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 31 May 2006 16:54:19 +0000

Doug, I think it’s rather easier than the political discourse suggests. There’s a very high degree of hypocrisy.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 31 May 2006 02:13:38 +0000

Of course, Germany and, in particular, Austria, are continuing to receive migrants from one former communist state, i.e. East Germany.

By: Doug M.

Doug M. — Wed, 31 May 2006 00:22:30 +0000

@ Alex — My understanding is that Austria lets some Hungarians, etc., in, but mostly white-collar workers. Do I have that right?

@ Doug, gotcha. I wonder what the numbers are like.

@ Geoff, that’s a good point! One suspects that this is, as someone or other said, no accident.

@ Colman, I didn’t know that, but I suppose it makes sense. Okay.

Thanks, all. I love it when I post and then learn something.

Doug M.

By: Colman

Colman — Tue, 30 May 2006 23:06:02 +0000

The debate in Ireland included nonsense about immigrants coming to live off our welfare system. The government dealt with that by not giving them access to unemployment benefits. Not a nice way of dealing with the propagandists, but there you go.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 30 May 2006 22:03:30 +0000

It’s also worth noting that none of the original 6 founding members of the EEC - that’s the 6 countries that originally came up with the free movement of labour idea - have opened up yet.