Welcome wears thin for migrant workers

MADRID, March 18 (UPI) -- Migrant workers in Europe are finding the welcome they got when economies were booming has worn thin, with some countries inviting them to leave, officials say.

As globalization took hold, 200 million people have evolved into migrant workers, one fifth of them Europeans, Der Spiegel reported Wednesday. In addition, the United Nations International Labor Organization said as many as 30 million people around the world could lose their jobs by the end of the year.

Spain, which went through a construction boom in the past decade, is now offering migrant workers, including 700,000 from Romania, a free ticket home plus $690 in spending money, Der Spiegel reported.

Italy is also nudging migrants to pack their bags. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said recently illegal immigrants cannot be handled "with kid gloves." New security laws now include fees for residency permits and proof of a minimum level of income.

In Britain, where former Home Secretary Charles Clarke once called migrant workers "jewels of our nation," refinery workers walked off their jobs to protest a construction project that hired mostly Italian and Portuguese workers. In France, the deportation quota has been increased, Der Spiegel said.