IRISH INDEPENDENT: DISILLUSION OF ROMANIANS DENIED A CHANCE TO WORK

By Patricia McDonagh - The Irish Independent.

'It was hard, but we arrived at the end of the road. It is the road to our future. It is the road of our joy.' Romanian President Traian Basescu uttered these words on January 1, 2007.

Tens of thousands of revellers cheered at the thought of a better life as they celebrated their accession into the European Union, 17 years after the fall of communism. The "poor country" with a GDP per capita of only 33pc of the EU average had come of age.

Fast-forward more than a year from that watershed moment and for many, the longed-for rewards at the end of their personal quest for betterment have been completely dashed. Like many of his fellow country men, Romanian native Nick G* (22) came to Ireland in search of a better life.

But, with government restrictions on work permits, he has been forced to work illegally in Ireland and live in a constant state of fear that he may be found out.

Despite having qualifications as a waiter and a fireman, he cannot work legally in Ireland.

He hopes that some day he will be able to earn the "extraordinary" wage of €500 a week like his Irish counterparts.

But, in the meantime, he simply cannot complain about his wage of €300, for which he works more than 45 hours a week, or he will be sacked.

One could be mistaken for thinking that Nick is an isolated case, who is being exploited by Celtic Tiger greed.

However, he is just one of thousands of Romanians who have come to Ireland and are living in a state of flux because of the current restrictions.

Although free to travel in the EU, citizens of Romania and Bulgaria are still required to have an employment permit for a continuous period of 12 months to work here.

At the root of the problem is the Government's decision to restrict labour-market access due to the scale of immigration from central and eastern European since the 2004 engagement round.

The Government said it felt it was appropriate to "take stock, be cautious and concentrate on addressing integration needs" of those who had already come to work in Ireland.

Either the employer or the employee can apply for an employment permit, based on an offer of employment in a specific job.

A permit currently costs €1,000 for six months to two years and it can take up to two months for a new application to be processed. They are available for occupations with a salary of €30,000.

Unskilled sectors, such as clerical, retail staff, drivers, production staff, hotel staff and craft workers are considered ineligible for work permits.

In order to ensure workers from the European Economic Area are offered the chance of a job first, applicants must undergo a Labour Market Test.

This means a vacancy must be advertised with FAS for four weeks and in a national newspaper for three days before employers can take on a Romanian worker.

Preference is given to Romanian and Bulgarian workers over citizens of non-European Economic Area countries.

When the restrictions were introduced, employer group IBEC said the proposals should give preference to these new EU citizens over non-European Economic Area citizens in a more definitive manner.

Official figures from the Department of Social and Family Affairs show that out of more than 13,000 Romanians who came to Ireland in 2007, just 110 work permits were issued.

A Government measure to prevent "welfare tourism" also means Romanians cannot claim social welfare unless they have lived in Ireland for two years.

Nick, who came here in November 2007, has found it extremely hard to obtain and keep a job as a result of the restrictions.

After nearly a month of searching for work in the city centre while staying in Drumcondra, he found a job as a waiter, but was paid only €20 a day.

His employers, fearful of the wrath they might incur if they were found to be harbouring an illegal worker, let him go.

This scenario was repeated three times, before he entered a job as a cashier in a local shop. He is in constant fear that he will be thrown out.

"I am frustrated that I cannot work legally in the country. I am scared I will be thrown out," he sighs.

"Coming to Ireland was my last chance to do something with my life. I had obtained qualifications but it was impossible to make the money I needed in Romania where you only get €350 per month.

"I am trying to make more sales and more money than anyone else in this job because I want the boss to like me and let me stay. I try talking to Romanian people I know to attract them to my shop. I want to keep my job, I don't care how many hours I have to work," he says.

"The day I will be able to get a work permit will be the best day. Then I will be able to bring my girlfriend over from Romania and we will be able to start a life together. I will not be able to stay in Ireland if I don't get a permit. I want to earn my money like everyone else and work hard."

According to Vasile Ros, chair of the Romanian Community of Ireland, many Romanian people have become disillusioned with the accession into the EU.

"People are very disappointed. They come over to Ireland thinking everything will be perfect and it will be easy to get a job," he said. "Many of them end up going home because they spend all their savings in the first month and cannot find work.

"People are disillusioned at the situation. When we entered the EU people thought they could go somewhere to get a better life but that is not the way things are." According to Ros, the majority of Romanian workers are being exploited by their employers who will pay them less money because they are being forced to work illegally.

And, with the slowdown in the economy, things can only get worse for Romanian people trying to live below the breadline in Ireland. "If employers have a good worker who they feel is worth the wage they try and keep them and pay them the right wage," he says.

"But, many employers don't seem to want to wait to get the work permit when they can employ someone from Poland or some illegally. The majority of workers are being exposed or exploited by employers who will give them a low salary," he adds.

"It would be much easier to give work permits to people than to send Government officials out to try and find the people who are working illegally.

"In some cases, people begging on the streets would make more money than those who are working."

A spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said the restrictions are being kept under review and will be assessed comprehensively before the end of 2008.

*Full name cannot be printed because he is working illegally