Comments on: Meanwhile, that whole free movement of labor thing http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/transition-and-accession/meanwhile-that-whole-free-movement-of-labor-thing/ European Opinion Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:30:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Colin Reid http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/transition-and-accession/meanwhile-that-whole-free-movement-of-labor-thing/#comment-21436 Colin Reid Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:36:44 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3404#comment-21436 The problem with BBC News maps is they never use enough colours - it's always shades of tan, usually three shades at most, when they should be using bright colours that are easily distinguished. In this case, they could have coloured in the EU15 countries to indicate the different policies towards migrants from the EU8 and Romania + Bulgaria, but they didn't want to spoil their daft colour scheme. As a result, the text has to do all the work, rather than the map giving an at-a-glance summary. The problem with BBC News maps is they never use enough colours - it’s always shades of tan, usually three shades at most, when they should be using bright colours that are easily distinguished. In this case, they could have coloured in the EU15 countries to indicate the different policies towards migrants from the EU8 and Romania + Bulgaria, but they didn’t want to spoil their daft colour scheme. As a result, the text has to do all the work, rather than the map giving an at-a-glance summary.

]]> By: Zamfir http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/transition-and-accession/meanwhile-that-whole-free-movement-of-labor-thing/#comment-21435 Zamfir Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:45:03 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3404#comment-21435 Stefan, a guess could be that Romanian immigrants to the US are more permanent, after all cross atlantic tckets are not really cheap. Here in the Netherlands the same stories about Romanians and Bulgarians in particular are growing, but I have no data to see if there is body behind the rumours. A story that keeps on reappearing are 'shopping sprees', where some guys drive a van to a country, steal stuff until the police is aware of them, move on to another country to continue, and eventually return to Romania where they know people to sell the loot to. We are not so much talking about permanent migrants to the richer parts who turn out to be above-average criminal, but more about Romanian criminals who have moved their working field. I guess inter-country policing in the EU is still far from perfect, especially in the contacts with the newer members. Stefan, a guess could be that Romanian immigrants to the US are more permanent, after all cross atlantic tckets are not really cheap.

Here in the Netherlands the same stories about Romanians and Bulgarians in particular are growing, but I have no data to see if there is body behind the rumours.

A story that keeps on reappearing are ’shopping sprees’, where some guys drive a van to a country, steal stuff until the police is aware of them, move on to another country to continue, and eventually return to Romania where they know people to sell the loot to. We are not so much talking about permanent migrants to the richer parts who turn out to be above-average criminal, but more about Romanian criminals who have moved their working field.

I guess inter-country policing in the EU is still far from perfect, especially in the contacts with the newer members.

]]> By: Stefan http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/transition-and-accession/meanwhile-that-whole-free-movement-of-labor-thing/#comment-21432 Stefan Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:56:45 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3404#comment-21432 "Over a period of just one year, there has been a sixfold increase in the number of crimes committed by Romanian citizens in this country" Funny thing, this has never happened in the US. There are almost 400K Romanians in the US and there are no issues at all. Most of those that arrived after '89 came through the diversity visa program. The only condition was to have a highschool diploma, which almost everyone in RO has, if they graduated in the 80’s at least. Also, I don’t see gypsies here as well, Romanians or from whatever.. I’m curious why Finland would be different. “Over a period of just one year, there has been a sixfold increase in the number of crimes committed by Romanian citizens in this country”

Funny thing, this has never happened in the US. There are almost 400K Romanians in the US and there are no issues at all. Most of those that arrived after ‘89 came through the diversity visa program. The only condition was to have a highschool diploma, which almost everyone in RO has, if they graduated in the 80’s at least. Also, I don’t see gypsies here as well, Romanians or from whatever..

I’m curious why Finland would be different.

]]> By: Vitaliy http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/transition-and-accession/meanwhile-that-whole-free-movement-of-labor-thing/#comment-21431 Vitaliy Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:45:01 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3404#comment-21431 Doug, I think you meant Sweden, not Finland as one of the "total liberalism" three. Finland had slight restrictions until 2006. This came to my attention when reading <a href="http://centreforeuropeanreform.blogspot.com/2008/08/farewell-polish-plumber.html" rel="nofollow">a related post</a> by P. Whyte at CER. Doug, I think you meant Sweden, not Finland as one of the “total liberalism” three. Finland had slight restrictions until 2006.

This came to my attention when reading a related post by P. Whyte at CER.

]]> By: Jussi Jalonen http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/transition-and-accession/meanwhile-that-whole-free-movement-of-labor-thing/#comment-21423 Jussi Jalonen Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:35:38 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3404#comment-21423 Oh, the effects are visible. Over a period of just one year, there has been a sixfold increase in the number of crimes committed by Romanian citizens in this country. Of these, 75% were property crimes. And the reference was specifically to the Romanian citizens _other_ than the Romani... who, in spite of being singled out by the media, are really a rather marginal group. Great PR for Romania. Funny thing, there were never any such problems with the citizens of those other new EU countries. Cheers, J. J. Oh, the effects are visible. Over a period of just one year, there has been a sixfold increase in the number of crimes committed by Romanian citizens in this country.

Of these, 75% were property crimes. And the reference was specifically to the Romanian citizens _other_ than the Romani… who, in spite of being singled out by the media, are really a rather marginal group.

Great PR for Romania. Funny thing, there were never any such problems with the citizens of those other new EU countries.

Cheers,

J. J.

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