THE NUMBER of citizens from the EU’s newer members states who registered to work or to access public services in the Republic almost halved in the second half of last year, suggesting a dramatic easing of inward migration as the recession set in.
Government figures show that some 33,200 people from those states that joined the bloc since 2004 were granted PPS numbers between July and December, a fall of 47 per cent on the same period in 2007.
The trend was particularly striking among Polish migrants, with their take-up of PPS numbers falling by 53 per cent in the last six months of 2008.
Fewer Poles registered in December than in any month since their country joined the EU in May 2004. However, Polish migrants remained the largest national group on the list compiled by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, with a total of 42,554 having secured PPS numbers last year. They were followed by British (12,285), French (7,066) and Lithuanian (6,443) applicants.
The figures suggest that the post-enlargement flow of new migrants from central and eastern Europe reached its peak in 2006, when just under 139,000 citizens of the 10 new EU member states were issued with PPS numbers. Since then, the annual total has fallen steadily, with last year’s figures showing a 53 per cent reduction on 2006.
The decline is partly explained by the contracting Irish economy and improvements in labour markets elsewhere.
In Poland, the zloty’s appreciation has reduced the potential gain from emigration, while a comparatively resilient economy and rising wages at home have made it more attractive to stay put.
Separate statistics held by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment indicate that the number of work permits issued to foreigners in the second half of 2008 fell by 64 per cent on the same period in 2007.
However, annual comparisons are complicated by an administrative change made in early 2007 that means work permits no longer need to be renewed each year.
In all, there was a 37 per cent fall in the number of new permits issued over the past six months.
These permits are granted for jobs that cannot be filled from within the European Economic Area and exclude labourers, childminders and most catering staff.
Among those granted permits last year, the biggest national groups were from India (3,334) and the Philippines (2,210), both of which are well-represented in the health service. These were followed by US citizens (867) and South Africans (752). Take-up of the “green card”, introduced in 2007 to attract highly skilled workers and mostly covering occupations with a salary of €60,000 or more, fell steadily from 288 last January to just 91 in December.
Although figures on PPS numbers give an indication of inward migration, they do not show how many people have left the State since registering. Similarly, they do not include migrants who chose not to sign up for a PPS number, or seasonal workers who re-activated numbers they held from previous stints here.
However, the falling numbers reflect international trends. Earlier this month, a report by the Migration Policy Institute in Washington concluded that after rising rapidly in recent years, the growth in the foreign-born population in the US had slowed. It also suggested that as the recession worsened, the number of foreigners in the US might decline.
