Immigration: Should the borders be opened on Jan 1st 2014 to Romania and Bulgaria?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Immigration: Should the borders be opened on January 1st 2014 to Romania and Bulgaria?

On the 1st of January 2014, the borders of the United Kingdom will be opening to Romania and Bulgaria - both EU member states - due to EU rules. Despite both countries joining the EU a number of years ago, the reason why the borders have not opened until now to the UK is because the last Labour Government secured a 7-year stop gap which extended the amount of time that the UK could opt out of the opening of the borders to both countries.

A lot of noise has been made in the run-up to the opening of the borders by Nigel Farage of UKIP, the Labour Party and the Conservative backbenchers that HM Government should do something or halt the opening of the borders - the problem is, due to EU legalities the British Government has no choice other than to withdraw from the EU. Other concerns on opening up the borders concern crime figures for the Roma, housing shortages, youth unemployment and healthcare.

The numbers expected to come are unknown - and the Government are refusing to say how many they predict due to the last government predicting 13,000 Poles a year which ended up with over 800,000 over a period of 5 years. This time the Government say not as many will come as the situtation is different, but MigrationWatch are predicting around 50,000 a year. The Government and supporters of opening the borders argue essentially that only a small number will come into the UK and that the media and other political parties such as UKIP are scaremongering.

But what do you think? Should the borders be opened up to Romania and Bulgaria or are opposition parties like Labour and UKIP right to warn about the dangers of having a total open border policy to 29m very poor people?

There are plenty of nifty prizes to be won within this forum. Positive contributions towards official debates will sometimes be rewarded with a month's VIP subscription in a colour of your choice as part of the Top Contributor award. As well as this, reputation will be awarded throughout the debate to those who make valid and constructive posts. Those who make the best contributions within a month win the Debater of the Month award and wins themselves a month's worth of forum VIP and 10 reputation points. Finally, those who create debate topics that generate a lot of buzz and engaging discussion will receive 20 reputation points.

The debate is open to you.

[AgnesIO]

Under the idea of Europe, yes they should be opened. However, I personally don't think they should be completely opened. We should take who we WANT (ie. any jobs that we need; in a similar way Australia only lets people in if they have a trade to offer).

Not sure we can use Labour as a fair comment though; they are just as (more?) responsible for open borders than the Conservatives! Their attempts to say otherwise is merely a way to gain votes in the next election.

Will try and remember to post more later; dinner

[Reality]

I don't like the idea of all the Romanians and Bulgarians coming to take out jobs just to be paid less and work longer hours, our country as it stands has one of the highest unemployment rates in the EU so I don't think this should be allowed; if they become a UK citizen after the x years then yes they have all right to until then no.
I also think that the boarders shouldn't be opened to early as the UK needs to sort out its unemployment rate before you let them into to the country as they will just want to work for the above reasons as mentioned.

[AgnesIO]

I don't like the idea of all the Romanians and Bulgarians coming to take out jobs just to be paid less and work longer hours, our country as it stands has one of the highest unemployment rates in the EU so I don't think this should be allowed; if they become a UK citizen after the x years then yes they have all right to until then no.
I also think that the boarders shouldn't be opened to early as the UK needs to sort out its unemployment rate before you let them into to the country as they will just want to work for the above reasons as mentioned.

Actually, it has one of the lowest.

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/sta...tober_2013.png

[Reality]

Actually, it has one of the lowest.

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/sta...tober_2013.png

Oh right from all of the hyperboles on the news it's sounds so much worse than what it actually is then! I was lead to think its much higher than the other EU countries!!! Thank you for the update!!!
I do think that the parties are right to warn about the millions of people that can be coming into the UK over populating it and making it a more corrupt system than what we already have in health care, employment rates, doctors per thousand, I mean the parties should be right in o worrying about the cast increase to the boarders being open. I have nothing against the people that live in the countries I just have a problem with the jobs that will be taken, the easy access of health care!

[AgnesIO]

Oh right from all of the hyperboles on the news it's sounds so much worse than what it actually is then! I was lead to think its much higher than the other EU countries!!! Thank you for the update!!!

Welcome, to the Daily Mail and the Sun. :L

Admittedly, it could arguably be better if there were no immigrants, but I imagine until the benefits system is reformed it will never be as low as it could be.

[Reality]

Welcome, to the Daily Mail and the Sun. :L

Admittedly, it could arguably be better if there were no immigrants, but I imagine until the benefits system is reformed it will never be as low as it could be.

That's also something that shocks me! The UK is willing to shut the boarders; when they re-open them and let them back in the will let them have health care, jobs and benefits given by the government, the benefits system at the minute I completely disagree with, it's corrupt just like everything else the dual coalition government we has at the minute the, "promises" are made but are never followed through! I think the UK will be far better off when we have a stable government, stable economy, and someone who knows what they're doing in power in government!
Back to the benefits system, I think the government will allow them to claim benefits and ultimately bleed the system dry from what it's got just to support the immigrants that were once previously denied entry to the UK, now given health car, benefits and everything under the sun just because they're living in the UK

[AgnesIO]

That's also something that shocks me! The UK is willing to shut the boarders; when they re-open them and let them back in the will let them have health care, jobs and benefits given by the government, the benefits system at the minute I completely disagree with, it's corrupt just like everything else the dual coalition government we has at the minute the, "promises" are made but are never followed through! I think the UK will be far better off when we have a stable government, stable economy, and someone who knows what they're doing in power in government!
Back to the benefits system, I think the government will allow them to claim benefits and ultimately bleed the system dry from what it's got just to support the immigrants that were once previously denied entry to the UK, now given health car, benefits and everything under the sun just because they're living in the UK

The coalition government is not to blame for the benefits system; it has been out of control for a long time (yes, under Labour too!). I was not referring to immigrants claiming benefits; it is the people of the UK who need to be restricted too. The thing is, even if we had no immigrants, unemployment will not go down as much as it could potentially do until they create a system that means work pays, not sitting on your arse all day.

[Reality]

The coalition government is not to blame for the benefits system; it has been out of control for a long time (yes, under Labour too!). I was not referring to immigrants claiming benefits; it is the people of the UK who need to be restricted too. The thing is, even if we had no immigrants, unemployment will not go down as much as it could potentially do until they create a system that means work pays, not sitting on your arse all day.

I know what you mean; the UK citizens do need to be restricted as well on benefits as they too bleed the system dry of its money!
The immigrants, when they're finally allowed entry to the UK should be legally obliged to have to be a citizen of the UK for a period of months before they can start work, this isn't to say they won't be able to support them self as you see in Australia they refuse entry unless you have enough money to support yourself. This is what the immigrants should be doing if they can support them self for a month to two months they're allowed to start work if they can't then they should be allowed entry!!

[AgnesIO]

I know what you mean; the UK citizens do need to be restricted as well on benefits as they too bleed the system dry of its money!
The immigrants, when they're finally allowed entry to the UK should be legally obliged to have to be a citizen of the UK for a period of months before they can start work, this isn't to say they won't be able to support them self as you see in Australia they refuse entry unless you have enough money to support yourself. This is what the immigrants should be doing if they can support them self for a month to two months they're allowed to start work if they can't then they should be allowed entry!!

Bad idea, in my opinion. We can't expect people to be able to live months on end without an income; ask your parents whether they would be able to do this comfortably; I imagine the answer would be no.

I know they do this for travellers in Australia (to make sure they can make you pay for a flight out), and they have a very good system where they only let people in if they need that persons specific trade; although Australia do still have their own unique immigration problems.