When John Reid announced his plans for restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarians working in Britain, it took Romanians living in the UK by surprise. The measures to block workers from January 1 next year, and the accompanying caricature of Romanians in the British press, greatly sadden those of us already here.I came to the UK seven years ago, as a student, to complete my education. At the age of 16, it was hard to put up with the perception of my homeland that I found here. At that time, Romania meant Ceausescu, Dracula, orphans and begging gypsies. However, the tabloid media has managed to change this through their persistent campaigning against Romanians.
As a result, public perceptions have also changed - and not for the better. Romania is now synonymous with the unstoppable flow of unskilled workers. They are invading this country, stealing jobs from the British and overburdening the social services.
As a Romanian living in Britain, there comes a moment when you feel tired. Tired of trying to rebrand your country on your own, tired of being given superior looks just because of your nationality. In 2004 we were hopeful that Europe and Britain would be happy when we joined the EU in 2007; hopeful that we would be treated with respect and given the same rights as other members of the EU.
Now we feel that we are being treated like second-class citizens. We are made aware of the obligations we will have, but it is very hard to see where our rights lie. Mr Reid's proposals debar almost all kinds of workers. The few work permits that he announced would be available in January for highly skilled migrants do not help. Statistics show clearly that the jobs sought by Romanians are in other fields, particularly in agriculture.
It is ironic that one of the few categories of workers that will be accepted is the self-employed. It confirms the idea that we are expected to contribute, but not to benefit. Self-employed builders and cleaners from Romania are already well known to the Home Office. They are the holders of business visas which have been one of the few ways by which you could live legally in Britain. But because of this enforced self-employment they do not have the same rights to holiday and sick pay, and experience far greater insecurity.
The new restrictions will affect many thousands of Romanians who live here already. They came to the UK to work in low-paid jobs well below their level of qualification, with the expectation that, come January, they would be able to apply for newly available permits to carry out more skilled work. Now the home secretary has made it clear that will not happen.
Meanwhile, those Romanians who were planning to come to the UK will most probably choose another destination. When you are not wanted by a place, you give up trying sooner or later. It is sad to see that Britain, renowned for its democracy, has chosen to introduce such a discriminatory measure. And it is likewise sad that elements of the British press continue to peddle a false image of Romanians. These decrees and headlines influence what happens in the real world, a world which I fear is not going to become any more friendly towards my compatriots.
There are many people who want to work here legally, and bring their own contributions to British society. But the question I cannot answer is this: how can a Romanian integrate into a society which obviously doesn't want to accept Romanians?
Cristina Irimie, the editor of the newspaper Roman in UK.