A euworkers.fr in France is either a person born in Romania living in France or someone who was born in France to a family of immigrants from Romania. This article focuses on the latter, rather than on the overlapping phenomena of racial discrimination against Roma people and deportation mechanisms.
The French and Romanian economies are highly intertwined. Many companies in the CAC 40 have long-standing presences in Romania. The two countries also benefit from high-value added industrial cooperation in sectors like automobile (Renault-Dacia produces 8% of its sales in Romania), aeronautics (Airbus Helicopters has a plant in Romania) and energy (Engie is the largest gas distributor in the country).
Employment Opportunities: Where Romanian Workers Thrive in France
Since 2007, when both Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the European Union, citizens of these former communist bloc states have been subject to special restrictions on access to jobs on French labor markets. This is the result of a transitional clause in their accession agreement to the EU, and it has prompted French authorities to implement controversial policies including forced dismantlement of illegal camps and repatriations of migrants.
Meanwhile, the number of Romanians working in France has steadily risen. These “posting workers” pay into the welfare systems of their home countries, allowing employers to hire them for less than they would cost in Western Europe, where welfare costs are higher. These workers are viewed as pricing out local workers, driving down wages and exacerbating disparities in wealth.
