MIGRANT workers may be putting "huge pressures" on schools services with more than 100 pupils from overseas enrolling in one Welsh county since April, it was claimed yesterday.

A meeting in Cardiff also heard there were also concerns because many people coming to Wales to work have no medical records or do not register with a GP.

Council bosses from across Wales yesterday discussed the implications of families and individuals from Poland and other countries coming to Wales for work.

"Many authorities are reporting the enrolment of children of migrant workers within local schools," said a report for the Welsh Local Government Association.

"Due to the transient nature of migrant workers, the increase in school numbers is very difficult to plan for and is often unexpected.

"For example, since April 2006, 103 new pupils have registered in schools in Wrexham.

"A number of these children have special educational needs, some severe.

"Their arrival has also placed huge pressures on specialist bilingual support that is required due to some children having very little or no English skills."

The 103 pupils who have joined Wrexham's school rolls since April represent an enrolment rate of 155 over a whole year. That equates to about 10% of the normal annual intake by Wrexham schools.

The Welsh Assembly Government provides grants to cover some of the education costs, but that money is reimbursed after councils have paid out.

"Huge pressures are being placed on already overstretched budgets. This issue is to be raised with the Minister for education and lifelong learning."

The WLGA report added, "Health professionals are raising a number of issues at the local level, including the potential impact of migrant workers on public health.

"Often, medical records are not accessible and as such it is difficult to identify past health history, including vaccination and inoculation rates against infectious diseases.

"It is also being identified that registration rates with GPs are low and migrant workers are more likely to access A&E [hospital accident and emergency wards] for health issues."