An announcement by the Home Office has confirmed that the current annual limitations for low skilled workers from the European countries of Romania and Bulgaria will stay as they are for at least another two years. However, the officials did say that if the economy improves, these could then be considered again and possibly lifted.

In each of the coming two years, as long as the limitations on the number of workers is the same, the British Government will admit some 25,000 low skilled workers from the said countries to work in the agriculture and the food processing industry under a quota system. The report has been confirmed by Immigration Minister Phil Woolas.

"Given the current labour market situation, it is important that we continue to give weight to the need to protect the interests of the resident workforce", Woolas said. "The restrictions will continue until the end of 2011".

The limit on number of workers was imposed by UK in 2007, when Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. The number was recently revised in December. The current rising rate of unemployment across England, which has been a cause of much worry for the Government, has forced the country's authority figures to not revise the limits set.

According to rules, EU member can impose on a limit on workers from Bulgaria and Romania till 31 December 2011, and further increase it by two years if revising the number would "cause a serious disturbance to the labour market".