Latvia: labour market opened to Romania and Bulgaria

Revising the informative report prepared by the Ministry of Welfare on necessary changes in national regulatory enactments in relation to accession of the new member states (EU), the government decided for citizens from these countries not to restrict an access to our labour market. During the late December in the meadia there were large discussion about the influx of unofficial guest workers to Latvia. According to the newspaper 11 unofficial immigrants citizens of Moldova were detained at the end of December in the Riga Airport. In total, 55 foreigners who have arrived to Latvia without required documents or have been unofficially employed were detained in December. The majority of unofficially employed were citizens of Bulgaria ? 20 persons, Moldova ? 11, and Russia ? 9. The State Border Guard has fined a forestry processing company “Gran Latvija? for illegal employment of 19 citizens of Bulgaria. Now these companies have to pay a fine in the amount of LVL 3500 (?EUR 5,000), while administrative penalty for citizens of Bulgaria varies from LVL 250 (?EUR 356) to 350 (?EUR 500). Lately the Latvian government decided not to introduce any restrictions on the free movement of workers from of to-be-EU MS Bulgaria and Rumania after both countries join the European Union 1 January 2007. More info at www.diena.lv