Romanian authorities claim that many foreigners arriving legally in Romania for employment purposes on work visas are attempting to cross the state border into the Schengen Zone irregularly.
The number of migrants who arrived at the Accommodation Centre for Foreigners Taken in Public Custody in Arad during the first half of 2024 reached 400, Schengen.News reports.
The head of Arad Center, Filimon Pitea, as cited by ActMedia, said that foreigners who were caught departing Romania irregularly had their residence permits revoked.
Most of Migrants Taken in Custody Were From Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka & Pakistan
The majority of migrants who were taken in custody in the first half of 2024 were from Bangladesh (89), Nepal (75), Sri Lanka (63), and Pakistan (55), as revealed in a recent conference by the General Immigration Inspectorate.
The remaining were nationals of Afghanistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, or Morocco, as the Romanian News Agency further reported.
At present, 33 foreigners are in detention at the Arad Center, which represents an occupancy rate of only 21 per cent.
However, Pitea says that such a low occupancy rate is “circumstantial” while explaining that the centre is usually full during the summer months.
Almost 40% of Foreign Workers Departed Romania After Partial Schengen Accession
Prior to this announcement, recruitment agency representatives claimed that approximately 35-40 per cent of migrant workers left Romania after the country’s partial accession to the Schengen zone.
Yosef Gavriel Peisakh, General Manager at the recruitment agency “Work from Asia,” said in an earlier statement that foreign workers are departing Romania to look for more high-paying jobs in Europe.
This situation is reportedly affecting Romanian companies that need migrant workers to address the labour shortages.
According to the 2023 EURES Report on shortages and surpluses, Romania is facing labour shortages in 154 occupations.
