Britain Struggles to Cope With Wave of Immigration

Britain Struggles to Cope With Wave of Immigration

MANCHESTER, England -- In this gritty northern city once famous for its textile exports, two bus companies have had their operating licenses suspended for employing Polish drivers who cannot read English road signs. In the Romanian capital of Bucharest, a new bus station opened this week to cater for yet more people keen to travel to Eastern Europe's favorite destination.

As both Romania and Bulgaria became the European Union's newest members on Jan. 1, Britain braced for a new wave of immigration.

After the EU expanded eastwards in 2004, the London government hopelessly miscalculated the number of likely economic migrants looking for a better income in Britain than at home. Government agencies anticipated 13,000 people a year but now concede that about 600,000 East Europeans -- the majority Poles -- arrived in Britain between 2004 and 2006.

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