Source - The Telegraph.uk...

Victor Spirescu, the first Romanian to arrive in London when border controls were eased a year ago, says life in the capital is difficult and he would not encourage his friends to join him.

“I don’t tell them to come here. It is very hard,” the 30-year-old said. “It is hard work to grow in this country, to save money. It is only if you have some luck.”  But Mr Spirescu, who became a minor celebrity when he was greeted at the airport in January 2014 by journalists, photographers and even MP Keith Vaz, is adamant he did not come to Britain for benefits. He does not think others would either.  “I came here to work. I came here to make money. Not for benefits,” he said.

Around 47,000 Romanians and Bulgarians came to the UK last year after restrictions on migrant workers were lifted on Jan 1, according to the latest statistics. But the numbers were not the feared spike in arrivals: the figure was similar to the numbers who came in 2013 and 2012. Mr Spirescu thinks the panic was unfair, and hit out in particular at Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who he met in his first month here.   “He has a problem with immigrants – but he has an immigrant wife,” he said. “He speaks lots of stupid things. I think maybe he smokes too much…” he said.

After starting by washing cars for £30 a day, Mr Spirescu now earns £250 a day in a construction job in east London.  His parents are looking after the money he sends back to Romania. He split up with his girlfriend, Catalina, when she joined him in London but left soon after, finding the city too intense.  His parents don’t need the money for themselves, he said: “I don’t tell my mum the PIN.”

Instead, he is saving up to return to his village in Romania in the next couple of years and live a “beautiful life”.  He said: “I want to try to make a small construction company. If not, I go back and live like a king. It is a lot of money in Romania. I want to go back and live in my village. I have a house there.”   He said he never wanted to stay in London forever.

“It is a busy town. This is the problem,” he said.