The French Government recently canceled a tax which limited the access of Romanians and Bulgarians on the French labor market. Employers who had to pay extra taxes to the French Immigration Office when hiring Romanians and Bulgarians will no longer have to pay them. The tax exemption is also valid for the employees coming from the two countries.

France decided on August 22 to make hiring conditions more flexible for Romanian and Bulgarians. The list of jobs available for immigrants from the two countries, which are the main source of Roma people in France, will also be soon expanded.

France was expected to decided on early labor market openness for Romanians and Bulgarians. The meeting to make this decision was part of an initiative that aims at legalizing the stay of 15,000 Roma from the two countries, who are currently living in France. This could provide a solution for the Roma community in France, according to French Internal Affairs Minister Manuel Valls.

Around 90 percent of the Roma in France come from Romania. France and other EU countries are mandated to open their labor markets to Romanians and Bulgarians in January 2014.

editor@romania-insider.com