The British government has acknowledged that restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians working in Britain could be "too draconian" and may have to be eased within 12 months, The Independent reported.

Liam Byrne, the Immigration minister, was challenged in the Commons over a letter to The Independent this week from Richard Thomas, a former British ambassador to Bulgaria. Thomas said that ministers had "behaved despicably" by treating the two new member states as "second-class citizens" and said he would be ashamed to show his face again in Bulgaria.

Byrne told the session that other major west European nations including France and Germany had placed similar restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian workers. But he said there would be an early review of the curbs, adding: "We were aware that the restrictions we imposed may be too draconian."

The restrictions could run for five years, but they will be reviewed in a year to ascertain their impact on the UK economy and jobs market.

Byrne refused to be drawn on how many economic migrants could come from the two countries.

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