The common travel area between Ireland and the United Kingdom is a major constraining factor on our capacity to make independent decisions about international migration.
It is now being invoked by the Government as sufficient reason to restrict access to the labour market by workers from Romania and Bulgaria once these states join the European Union next January.
To do otherwise would be chaotic, according to Minister for Justice and Law Reform Michael McDowell. The decision will be discussed further by Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair tomorrow in Finland and will go to Cabinet shortly.
The same policy was followed in 2004 when 10 new member states joined the EU. Only Ireland, Britain and Sweden opened their labour markets freely to them. The large-scale flow of migrants since then is greater than was expected, but has in fact proved capable of being absorbed here because of the buoyant demand for labour. In Britain the same applies, but there has been a lot more media and political noise about the dangers this poses for social integration and cohesion there than here.
There is a continuing concern among policy makers that should Ireland opt for a distinct approach from Britain it would endanger the free movement we take so much for granted between the two jurisdictions. The policy was formalised in 1961, but goes back to the time of independence, when effectively the common labour market between the two countries established under the Union was continued between the two new states. Those who enter the labour force in either state effectively have access to the other one. And this has been reinforced by the UK's decision not to join the Schengen area among EU member states, which Ireland was similarly constrained to follow.
A system of limited work permits, quotas and green cards will be applied to Romanian and Bulgarian workers, which will be much more restrictive than for the Poles, Latvians and other workers who have flocked here over the last two years. They number in the hundreds of thousands, allowing for rapid turnover. In principle there is no good reason to restrict Romanian and Bulgarian access in this way, were it not for the common travel area. Both states are entitled to the same conditions as those which joined in 2004, although existing EU members have the right to limit access for up to seven years. Research indicates that most Romanian and Bulgarian migrant workers go to Italy or Spain rather than to English-speaking states. Their propensity to migrate is limited. This policy is understandable, if regrettable.