For a preview of what the UK might expect when it throws open its doors to Romanian job seekers on January 1, it might be worth visiting Italy, now known by more than 1m Romanian migrants as their new “province” abroad.
Relatively close to home and with a culture and language similar to their own, Italy has become the prime destination for emigrating Romanians, followed by Spain and Germany.
The latest international migration outlook from the OECD, a group of countries that aims to promote sustainable growth, estimates that about 3.5m Romanians, approximately a sixth of the total population, are working abroad. Officially about 1m are registered in Italy, although unofficial estimates suggest up to another 1m move back and forth, often as seasonal workers.
Between 2006 and 2007, the year that Romania joined the EU, their Italian presence almost doubled, although the flow has slowed in recent years with Italy suffering its longest postwar recession.
Italy’s Romanian experience gives flavour of what is in store for UK
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