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With effect from the 1 st May 2004 the nationals of 10 countries who joined the EU under the Accession Treaty will be able to move freely around the EU without immigration restrictions and work legally in the UK. Workers from 8 of these countries – Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will be required to register under the Workers Registration Scheme . Nationals from Cyprus and Malta need not register.

This Scheme will enable the Government to monitor the numbers coming into the UK from the Accession states and impose restrictions on the labour market if necessary.

To comply with the Scheme UK employers should provide individuals with evidence of their employment, either a contract or letter. The employee will then have to register with the Home Office. The employer should take a copy of the completed application form before it is sent and should retain it until notification is received that the application has been successful. If the Home Office refuses registration, the individual cannot be retained as a worker.

Practical Tip

	Racial Discrimination
	To avoid potential claims of racial discrimination all job applicants should be asked to produce documentary evidence of their right to work in the UK in accordance with the requirement under Section 8 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1996.

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