In 1999, 6,000 work permits were issued in respect of workers from outside the European economic area – a record at the time. By 2002 this figure exceeded 40,000. Persons coming here to work on foot of work permits are fully compliant with our immigration requirements and made welcome in their places of employment and their new communities. Much of this labour migration is of a temporary nature and consistent with the broader pattern of intra-European labour migration. In future we should be able to meet the great bulk of our economic immigration needs from within the enlarged European Union. However, we should also be able to attract particularly skilled personnel from the wider world.