01/01/2014 BBC News

New to Britain... From today, Romanians and Bulgarians now have

the right to work here without restriction. As the first arrivals

touch down, it's not clear how many intend to come to the UK. I do not

come to probe your country, I come to work. Michael Schumacher remains

critical but stable in hospital after his skiing accident. For,

three, two, one... And... Welcome, 2014. Dazzling firework displays to

mark the New Year. Good evening. Bulgarians and

Romanians have started arriving in the UK to look for work, the first

migrants from those European countries since restrictions put in

place seven years ago were lifted. They can now look for all sorts of

jobs here. The Government has already pushed through a series of

benefits changes it hopes will discourage a large influx. Here's

our Political Correspondent, Ross Hawkins. Who should be allowed into

live and work in Great Britain? Few questions are as politically charged

and some of the Romanians arriving at this airport today seem to know

it. I come to work in this country. Open the border and I come to work

on to make money and go home. I am here to work. If they have jobs, I

will work. There was plenty of scrutiny of them today. And there

will be scrutiny to for politicians who spent weeks reassuring voters.

From today there will be a three-month delay before migrants

can claim jobseeker's allowance although they have not said how many

people that will affect. After six, migrants will have to show they have

a good chance of getting a job to receive benefits. They can be barred

from coming back for up to a year as well. These changes will make sure

people are coming here for the right reasons, to work and to contribute.

One factor behind all the attention for arrivals at Luton today is an

estimate made ten years ago when eight new countries entered the EU

and there were no temporary work restrictions in the UK. 13,000

people were expected to travel to the country but in the end, hundreds

of thousands came, and that has had a profound affect on the sometimes

stormy politics of immigration. Looking back, Labour admits they got

it wrong in the past and a debate is needed now. The European elections

are coming and they fear voters could turn to UKIP. There is a huge

benefit in open-door migration but you have to weigh it up with social

benefit is with those who are unemployed. You have to weigh it up

with the social cost of communities that feel very divided. Some

employers are looking to migrants to fill vacancies. This jobs website

has 5000 positions on offer here. It will take more than a New Year's Day

trip to the airport to get a clear view on how many will visit Britain

and the impact they will have. Politicians in Romania and Bulgaria

say fears of large numbers coming to Britain are overstated. Our

correspondent Mark Lowen has been on the streets of the Romanian capital

Bucharest to assess the appetite for emigration. It is icy in Bucharest

but the New Year will warm hearts here. From today, Romanians and

Bulgarians can work freely in any EU country. I want to go to work and

make a better life, and raise money for my children, for my family.

After that, I will come back, I will not stay there. Some advice from

someone who has been and return. There might be a romantic view of

living and working in Britain. Some people may think of it as an

Eldorado of Europe. Was it for you? It was good, I cannot complain but I

took the decision to come back. As restrictions are lifted, the worry

is that some will migrate to claim social benefits. Fears in Britain of

a mass exodus from here come from a decade ago when the UK estimated

that 15,000 people a year would arrive from Eastern Europe. It is

thought that 1.5 million actually came. This time it is different.

Back then, just three countries lifted restrictions. Now every EU

state has its doors open and many Bulgarians and Romanians who wanted

to leave have already done so since they join the EU seven years ago. At

Bucharest airport there is no expectation of a rush. They say the

story has been overplayed with dangerous rhetoric. It is used to

gain votes. It has instigated xenophobia and racism. One coach

company has tripled their services to Britain the others said they do

not expect any demand. I will go to the UK because it is a better

standard of living and I cannot support my family here. I would

never leave my country. For what? I am a patriot. Celebrations for a New

Year and new perspectives. Nobody knows how many will leave the

Romanians are glad to be treated as equals and that is one cause for a

party. Michael Schumacher remains critical but stable in hospital in

France, where he's being treated for severe brain injuries. The

seven-time Formula One motor racing champion hit his head during a

skiing accident at the weekend. Maddy Savage is outside the hospital

in Grenoble where he's being treated. Maddy. Michael Schumacher

will spend a fortnight here at Grenoble hospitals doctors can

monitor his condition and reduce some of the swelling around his

brain. His manager said he was stable and that was good news but

the situation is still critical and things could change at any moment.

Doctors have been cautious about speculating too far into the future

and talking about the long-term. They say they want to focus on his

immediate care. It is understood that his family remain at his

bedside. Police and coastguard teams are continuing their search for a

27-year-old man who was washed out to sea off Cornwall overnight. The

man from Guildford in Surrey was swimming with a group of friends on

a beach in Porthleven in the early hours of this morning. The search

has been hampered by heavy rain, strong winds and poor visibility. In

his first New Year message, Pope Francis called for an end to

violence around the world. In an address to crowds in Saint Peter's

Square in Rome he called on people to respect each other and accept

their differences. He also said everyone needed to commit to

building a more just and caring society. In his New Year's message,

the Prime Minister says 2014 will be a vital one for the UK economy - he

predicts Britain will turn a corner in recovering from the recession.

David Cameron said the government would stick to its long-term plan to

reduce the deficit. He also promised it would work harder to create more

jobs. Now, did you enjoy, or perhaps now for the sports news. Thank you.

Arsenal needed late goals to beat Cardiff city. Manchester City and

Chelsea were also winners. Could 2014 once again be Manchester

City's year. After six wins in a row, a seventh seemed inevitable

against Swansea. Swansea responded with verve and just before the break

got an equaliser. In the second half, City surged clear. After a

late Swansea consolation goal, it finished 3-2. Chelsea stay third.

They huffed and puffed against Southampton before Fernando Torres

put them ahead. It was a three - zero win. It could be some title

chase. Former Manchester United striker was

in the stands in Cardiff yesterday watching them lose. Ole Gunnar

Solskjaer was in the stands at the Emirates with Cardiff owner Vincent

Tan. Celtic beat Partick Thistle 1-0 thanks to a goal by Joe Ledley. Andy

Murray's return to action has ended in the second round at the Qatar

Open. This was his first competitive tournament in dough half. He lost in

three sets. He is still involved in the doubles, though. Did you enjoy

your New Year celebrations? To mark the start of 2014, huge firework

displays were laid on around the world. As you might expect, there

are lots of flashing images in Sarah Campbell's report.

CHEERING Billed as a world's first, not just

a visual spectacle, but a sensory one as well. It included banana

confetti. It is the first year I was in London, and it is the best thing

I have done. The smell, the smell of it! That was insane! 80,000

revellers packed the Scottish capital's centre to celebrate

Hogmanay. A feud thousand miles away, the largest ever fireworks

display centred around the world's tallest Golding. Half a million

fireworks were set off within six minutes. I have not seen a New Year

celebration like this before. It is incredible. In Red Square, security

was tight following the recent bombings. But the celebrations

carried on as usual. In times square, the famous ball dropped, and

a million New Yorkers celebrated 2014 in the traditional way. There's

more throughout the evening