EU warns Britain it can't stop thousands more migrants claiming welfare handouts

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315735/Open-door-benefit-tourists-EU-warns-Britain-stop-thousands-migrants-claiming-welfare-handouts.htm (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315735/Open-door-benefit-tourists-EU-warns-Britain-stop-thousands-migrants-claiming-welfare-handouts.html)

EU demands Britain payout billions to migrants


Benefits tourists are set to get the green light to come to Britain and immediately claim handouts totalling £2.5billion a year. According to documents leaked to the Mail, ministers have been warned that restrictions on claims by immigrants are against the law and must be scrapped. The unelected European Commission's ruling threatens to open the door to tens of thousands who are currently deterred from coming to Britain.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315735-0B60F12D000005DC-503_470x338.jpg





At the moment, a 'habitual residency test' is used to establish whether migrants from the EU are eligible for benefits. To qualify for jobseeker's allowance, employment support allowance, pension credit and income support, they must demonstrate that they either have worked or have a good opportunity to get a job.


But after receiving a complaint that the rules infringed the human rights of EU citizens, the Commission began to examine them. In a letter seen by the Mail, it warns that the restrictions are 'not compatible' with EU law. It says: 'EU law leaves it to member states to determine the details of their social security schemes and social assistance schemes, including the conditions on awarding benefits. ‘However, when making use of this competence, member states have to comply with the fundamental principles of EU law, such as the right to equal treatment on the basis of nationality. Having examined the “right to reside” test... it is not compatible with different legal provisions of EU law.’ The letter, written to the individual who made the complaint and copied to the British government, is dated last December, but Whitehall sources claim ministers in the outgoing Labour government failed to argue against the proposals.


Britain had toughened up its rules in 2004 when the EU was expanding its borders. The restrictions assess the eligibility of those from the EU and from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. But the Commission has begun legal proceedings against Britain to get restrictions on welfare claims by incomers scrapped. If successful, the Government would be required to remove its deterrents to benefit tourism, including the right-to-reside test and an additional qualification for those claiming jobseeker’s allowance, that they must have worked for 12 months or more. Officials warn the bill could be between £1.3billion and £2.5billion a year – hampering plans to rein in welfare spending. However, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith is understood to be determined to fight the move through the courts if necessary.





Yet again we are seeing the unelected and unaccountable European Union interfere in nearly every aspect of how this country is run. The Conservatives intend to fight it via the courts (so they say) but it begs the question, why should the elected British government have to defend itself against an unelected foreign government? To add to that, the Tories do not have a good record on defending Britain anyway although they are very good at smoke and mirrors when it comes to the EU.

At a time when welfare and benefits are being cut for Britons, we are being expected to pay for people who have never contributed a single pennys piece in their entire lives to this country.

Should the EU stay out of our business?

[alexxxxx]

immigrants, the eu and benefits all merged into one shady source-less article!

[Moh]

immigrants, the eu and benefits all merged into one shady source-less article!
Sounds about right though ;)

The country is struggling to support British citizens, never mind letting more immigrants in! If the EU wish to help fund it, then sure - but when it's tax payers money funding it, we should be able to have a say in it.

[Jordy]

Sounds about right though ;)

The country is struggling to support British citizens, never mind letting more immigrants in! If the EU wish to help fund it, then sure - but when it's tax payers money funding it, we should be able to have a say in it.I'd just like to point out the EU is funded by the tax payer before someone else does...

[Moh]

I'd just like to point out the EU is funded by the tax payer before someone else does...
But which country has a higher tax? ;)

[alexxxxx]

But which country has a higher tax? ;)

huh? what?

[GommeInc]

immigrants, the eu and benefits all merged into one shady source-less article!
Ah, someone else who noticed :P Personally I don't like the EU, but this article seems Daily Mail-esque.

[cocaine]

oh if only the EU commission could see what sort of an impact thousands of immigrants would do to our and ultimately the EU's (as a whole) economy

[kk.]

its the rules our governments in the past have done that has led to this. change the laws

---------- Post added 28-09-2010 at 05:06 PM ----------

oh and source, daily fail. great bringer of truth to our lives

and i swear you post in every thread about the eu saying 'unelected and unaccountable'. it gets old.

http://www.habboxforum.com/search.php?searchid=630772

[Recursion]

Rediculous. I actually think it's about time the UK left the EU.

[-:Undertaker:-]

its the rules our governments in the past have done that has led to this. change the laws

---------- Post added 28-09-2010 at 05:06 PM ----------

oh and source, daily fail. great bringer of truth to our lives

and i swear you post in every thread about the eu saying 'unelected and unaccountable'. it gets old.

http://www.habboxforum.com/search.php?searchid=630772

Well that is wrong, because as you can see; the EU now can change the law/create laws without the consent of the British government and thus the British people although I will accept (as I point out nearly all the time) that our governments have sold us out on this subject for a number of years now. The European Union is unelected or unaccountable so I really do not see your problem with me pointing out the truth or as I suspect, are you happy with unelected people imposing their ways on this country?

As for the Daily Mail, yes it bangs on about immigration and other stories - but only because the likes of the BBC refuse to cover the story. I will cite one example, over the past decade or so we have accumilated just under one million illegal immigrations who are at large in this country (imagine two cities the size of Liverpool and add an extra 150,000 people or so) yet the BBC has given it virtually no air time.

[Wig44.]

I don't understand why the EU would actively seek to weaken one of the most important member states - the UK. Clearly the EU is about power, as we can see by the centralisation through removal of borders/parliamentary power/currency (in some) of member states, consolidating the states if you like. I believe a system is greater than the sum of its components but I also agree that a system becomes weaker if you weaken one (or more) of the components. Therefore the EU cannot benefit from further financially burdening the UK unless we are seen as an unecessary part that can be used to pay the bills and collect the scum. As I've said before, we should leave the EU, get a FTA and regain sovereignty. The EU has devolved its member states into federal states and is just a dressed up federal goverment in my opinion.

[alexxxxx]

story smells of rubbish. nothing of any substance is in the article and no other news outlet has even covered this.

[Moh]

huh? what?
Since we're one of the only countries that have tax on pretty much everything and considering how small of a country we are to the others in EU - we're contributing a lot to the EU.

story smells of rubbish. nothing of any substance is in the article and no other news outlet has even covered this.


According to documents leaked to the Mail, ministers have been warned that restrictions on claims by immigrants are against the law and must be scrapped.Maybe because it's only dailymail who got the leaked documents?

[alexxxxx]

Since we're one of the only countries that have tax on pretty much everything and considering how small of a country we are to the others in EU - we're contributing a lot to the EU.

We are the 2nd or 3rd largest country in terms of population in the EU after Germany and maybe France? So we will contribute more and receive more (though still a net contributor). And taxation is much higher in Scandinavia. Much.. much higher.


Maybe because it's only dailymail who got the leaked documents?
[/COLOR][/LEFT]
I've searched for these 'quotes' on the internet from people and not once has it come up. Plus if it was true, more papers would have launched their own investigations. Come on.

[AgnesIO]

Think this is more over exaggerated crap.

What it is actually saying is immigrants will CONTINUE to claim, just like they have been for the past 15 years or so. And Britain wasn't in the EU back then.

I am for the EU as it makes my travelling so easy x

[Alkaz]

It will be fine if ALL member states offered everyone the same state benefits. It does seem we've been made the sponge of the EU and everyone is trying to do all they can to wring us dry.
Also to add to peoples comments about people saying we should leave, we should never have joined in the first place! We're un-Great Britain and we've made many connections to the rest of Europe (The channel tunnel links us directly to France :l) which we never had and now we can't do what we wish on our own little island any more.

[Wig44.]

Think this is more over exaggerated crap.

What it is actually saying is immigrants will CONTINUE to claim, just like they have been for the past 15 years or so. And Britain wasn't in the EU back then.

I am for the EU as it makes my travelling so easy x

What? The UK joined the EU in 1973, 37 years ago? And what it is saying is that the ever increasing influx of immigrant leeches who are able to get here so easily because of the EU aren't able to be turned away. You are for the EU because it makes your travelling easier, yet it detracts from britain financially and increases population density, removes our sovereignty and seeks to assimilate us and other member states into one large nation united under one flag, one national anthem, one currency, heck they even had a language which never came into use and collapsed. Not that it matters - we'll all be able to fly slightly easier so that's ok!

@alex..: A quick google search of 'According to documents leaked to the Mail, ministers have been warned that restrictions on claims by immigrants are against the law and must be scrapped.' brings up http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315735/EU-warns-Britain-stop-thousands-migrants-claiming-welfare-handouts.html unless I misunderstood what you mean.

[AgnesIO]

What? The UK joined the EU in 1973, 37 years ago? And what it is saying is that the ever increasing influx of immigrant leeches who are able to get here so easily because of the EU aren't able to be turned away. You are for the EU because it makes your travelling easier, yet it detracts from britain financially and increases population density, removes our sovereignty and seeks to assimilate us and other member states into one large nation united under one flag, one national anthem, one currency, heck they even had a language which never came into use and collapsed. Not that it matters - we'll all be able to fly slightly easier so that's ok!

@alex..: A quick google search of 'According to documents leaked to the Mail, ministers have been warned that restrictions on claims by immigrants are against the law and must be scrapped.' brings up http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315735/EU-warns-Britain-stop-thousands-migrants-claiming-welfare-handouts.html unless I misunderstood what you mean.

Oh yeh sorry - getting confused with the treaty thing or whatever it was that happened/was going to happen recently :L

Why is everyone getting their knickers in a twist lately?

Flying easily is good when you fly more than once a year..

I don't agree with everything the EU does, and I don't think we should be in Europe - but only because we are not connected to it ..

[Wig44.]

Oh yeh sorry - getting confused with the treaty thing or whatever it was that happened/was going to happen recently :L

Why is everyone getting their knickers in a twist lately?

Flying easily is good when you fly more than once a year..

I don't agree with everything the EU does, and I don't think we should be in Europe - but only because we are not connected to it ..

Because the EU is sucking the life out of the UK, and our goverment is encouraging it. The **** is going to hit the fan for us soon (things are already bad but just wait) and just sitting around letting it happen is something I just can't do.

[AgnesIO]

Because the EU is sucking the life out of the UK, and our goverment is encouraging it. The **** is going to hit the fan for us soon (things are already bad but just wait) and just sitting around letting it happen is something I just can't do.

People need to stop thinking leaving the EU is like the cure for cancer.

[Wig44.]

People need to stop thinking leaving the EU is like the cure for cancer.

Isn't that a non-sequitur?

Leaving the EU will sort out lots of this country's problems. Instead of skating around what I have said I'd rather you backed up your skepticism of leaving the EU with points to argue but obviously if you can't be bothered I understand :P.

[AgnesIO]

Isn't that a non-sequitur?

Leaving the EU will sort out lots of this country's problems. Instead of skating around what I have said I'd rather you backed up your skepticism of leaving the EU with points to argue but obviously if you can't be bothered I understand :P.

I can see both sides of the argument, but as a human being I am going to be ignorant, and say staying inside the EU helps my family so :P

Hope you are ok with this - but yeh I don't really get in to the whole 500 word essay posts - doesn't really interest me :). I totally understand both sides of the arguments though :)