5.

COUNTRY NOTES: RECENT CHANGES IN MIGRATION MOVEMENTS AND POLICIES

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION OUTLOOK 2013 OECD 2013
288
Romania
Romanias migration pattern is mainly character-
ised by emigration, especially following accession to
the European Union on 1 January 2007. However, data
on emigration of Romanian citizens or persons born
in Romania is limited. The number of Romanians
working abroad in 2011 is estimated to be around
3.5 million persons.
Officially registered emigration captures only a
small fraction of actual outflows. The number of
newly registered emigrants in 2011 increased by 17%,
to 10 000. The main official destination countries were
Canada (20%), Germany (19%) and the United States
(18%). A more accurate approximation of emigration
can be drawn from statistics in the main destination
countries. In Italy and Spain, for example, 90 000 and
61 000 Romanians enrolled in the respective popula-
tion registers in 2011.
The National Agency for Employment mediates
temporary labour emigration through bilateral agree-
ments. No new bilateral agreement has been signed
since 2010. In 2011, the National Agency for Employ-
ment mediated 72 900 work contracts, 30% fewer than
in 2010. Almost all of these contracts related to
Germany. The National Agency for Employment also
provided information and mediation services to
17 300 workers seeking a job in the EU member states.
According to the Ministry of Administration and
Interior, in the first semester of 2012 the number of
approved visa requests decreased by 11% to 76 900.
However, approval rates increased. The main origin
countries were Moldova (36%), Ukraine (15%) and
Turkey (14%).
In 2011, 59 600 new stay permits were issued.
The main origin countries were Moldova (28%), Turkey
(15%) and China (12%). Temporary stay permits consti-
tute 83% of all stay permits issued.
At the end of November 2011, the immigrant
population stood at 98 000, a 4% increase from
December 2012. Around 60% of those immigrants were
non-EU citizens, mainly from Moldova (27%), Turkey
(15%) and China (12%). The main reasons for stay were
family ties (41%), study (12%), business and employ-
ment activities (12%) and family reunification (7%).
The maximum number of work authorisations is
fixed by a governmental decree. In light of the eco-
nomic downturn, the Romanian government has
reduced the quota for work authorisations every year
since 2009. The 2011 quota for work authorisations
was set at 5 500, a decrease of 30% compared to 2009
and 2010. However, only 2 700 work authorisations
were issued in 2011, only half the quota. The work
permits were mainly granted for permanent workers
(71%) and posted workers (22%). Most immigrant
workers came fromTurkey (21%), China (18%) and the
Philippines (12%). The quota was set at 5 500 for 2012
and again in 2013. The quota is subdivided by
category; for 2013, it includes 3 000 for permanent
employment, 900 intra-company transfers and
800 highly-skilled workers.
In the first five months of 2012, the number of asy-
lum seekers increased by 166% compared to the same
period in 2011, but the absolute number remained low
(1 200). The main origin countries of asylum seekers
were Algeria, Morocco and Afghanistan. The increase
in the number of asylum seekers was mainly due to
new rules in 2011 which regard asylum seekers rights.
First, Romania now provides accommodation to those
having no access to material/financial resources.
Furthermore, the General Inspectorate for Immigration
took measures in order to increase the capacity of
receiving and processing asylum seekers, by strength-
ening the co-operation with the General Inspectorate
for Emergency Situations and the Romanian Red Cross.
Since accession to the European Union, one of
the main challenges Romania had to face has been
irregular migration. In 2011, new measures were intro-
duced to ensure the legal stay of immigrants. Informa-
tion campaigns on the risk of illegal employment were
organised both for immigrant workers and for
employers. A free hotline was opened to report cases
of illegal/undeclared work. A joint action plan was
issued with Serbia in order to address migration flows.
In 2011, new social integration measures were
introduced. A special training project prepared
20 Romanian language teachers to teach Romanian to
asylum seekers. Romanian language and culture hand-
books were published. From February to June 2011,
300 foreign citizens benefited fromRomanian language
and culture courses. The Ministry of Education,
Research, Youth and Sports, together with UNHCR,
organised a training programme for teachers of
Romanian language and literature in order to provide
courses to immigrants.
For further information
www.insse.ro
www.mai.gov.ro
www.ori.mai.gov.ro/.
www.oecd.org/migration/imo
5. COUNTRY NOTES: RECENT CHANGES IN MIGRATION MOVEMENTS AND POLICIES
INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION OUTLOOK 2013 OECD 2013
289
Recent trends in migrant flows and stocks
ROMANIA
Migration flows (foreigners)
2000 2005 2010 2011
Average Level (000)
National definition 2001-05 2006-10 2011
Per 1 000 inhabitants
Inflows 0.5 0.2 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.4 15.5
Outflows .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Migration inflows (foreigners) by type Thousands % distribution
Inflows of top 10 nationalities
as a % of total inflows of foreigners
Permit based statistics (standardised) 2010 2011 2010 2011
Work .. .. .. ..
Family (incl. accompanying family) .. .. .. ..
Humanitarian .. .. .. ..
Free movements .. .. .. ..
Others .. .. .. ..
Total .. .. .. ..
Temporary migration 2005 2010 2011
Average
2006-10
Thousands
International students .. .. .. ..
Trainees .. .. .. ..
Working holiday makers .. .. .. ..
Seasonal workers .. .. .. ..
Intra-company transfers .. .. .. ..
Other temporary workers .. .. .. ..
Inflows of asylum seekers 2000 2005 2010 2011
Average Level
2001-05 2006-10 2011
Per 1 000 inhabitants 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 2 061
Components of population growth 2000 2005 2010 2011
Average Level (000)
2001-05 2006-10 2011
Per 1 000 inhabitants
Total -1.1 -2.2 -2.3 -2.7 -7.4 -1.8 -58
Natural increase -0.9 -1.9 -2.2 -2.6 -2.2 -1.8 -55
Net migration -0.2 -0.3 0.0 -0.1 -5.3 -0.1 -3
Stocks of immigrants 2000 2005 2010 2011
Average Level (000)
2001-05 2006-10 2011
Percentage of the total population
Foreign-born population .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Foreign population .. .. 0.3 0.3 .. 0.3 57
Naturalisations 2000 2005 2010 2011
Average Level
2001-05 2006-10 2011
Percentage of the foreign population .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Labour market outcomes 2000 2005 2010 2011
Average
2001-05 2006-10
Employment/population ratio
Native-born men .. 63.7 65.7 64.9 64.6 65.2
Foreign-born men .. - - - - -
Native-born women .. 51.5 52.0 52.0 53.8 52.4
Foreign-born women .. - - - - -
Unemployment rate
Native-born men .. 8.1 8.2 8.2 8.4 7.8
Foreign-born men .. - - - - -
Native-born women .. 6.8 6.9 7.1 7.0 6.0
Foreign-born women .. - - - - -
Macroeconomic indicators 2000 2005 2010 2011
Average Level
2001-05 2006-10 2011
Annual growth in %
Real GDP 5.7 7.9 2.2 0.3 6.2 1.6
GDP/capita (level in USD) .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 895
Employment (level in thousands) 0.0 0.1 0.0 -1.1 -3.0 0.3 9 138
Percentage of the total labour force
Unemployment 6.8 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.2 6.7
Notes and sources are at the end of the chapter.
1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932824327
0 10 20 30 40 50
Romania
2010 2005-09 annual average
Moldova
Italy
Germany
United States
Turkey
China
Hungary
Canada
France
Syria