UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has announced a new plan that will enforce extra restrictions on immigrants, predominantly from the EU, trying to settle in the UK. He has also threatened to leave the European Union if his pleas are ignored.
While we are onlookers to what is happening the UK, this could affect those British expats living in Spain for a number of years who have relinquished all ties to the UK if we chose to return one day.
Many of us have no desire or plans to settle back in our country of birth, but factors such as health, family and work could be key factors to changing our mind in the future.
Cameron claims that his proposals are “reasonable” and he plans to implement them if he manages to keep hold of power after the general elections in May next year.
Due to pressure from Independence party UKIP, Cameron plans to make EU immigration, and curbing it, one of the major cornerstones of his party’s agenda for the 2015 elections.
Cameron attacked Tony Blair when he led the country for his ‘open door’ policies, but since then the number of migrants settling in the UK has increased, as has the pressure on the country’s resources as a result.
The UK currently receives approximately 260,000 migrants a year, and cannot cope.
While not wanting to destroy the principle of free movement within the EU and single market, due to the situation over the last few years, the British Prime Minister will be looking for ways in which to relieve the pressure off the country’s resources.
This will mean restricting access to benefits and housing, which will in turn affect education and health, for example.
Cameron is backing a fairer system that is not open to abuse and wants to make it harder for those who cannot find work to stay and claim benefits. He also wants coming to the UK appear less attractive to low-skilled workers, who can often earn triple the wages in the UK for doing the same job back in their own country.
Immigration is the biggest worry for the majority of British voters, who are the ones experiencing first-hand the strain in their schools, hospitals and welfare system. This problem is what has caused the rise of the UKIP party.
However, defenders of the current system say that the majority of EU migrants are young, mainly Eastern Europeans, who want to work, find jobs, pay into the system and take little out in benefits.
David Cameron’s proposals, which are outlined below, will be debated in Brussels.
- EU migrants won’t be able to claim in-work benefits including tax credits and social housing access for four years
- Deport EU migrants that have not found a job within six months
- Stop migrants claiming child support for dependents not living in the UK
- Restriction of non-EU family members entering the UK to live
- Stop EU jobseekers claiming Universal Credit
- Deport convicted criminals much faster
- Lengthen re-entry bans for beggars and fraudsters
- Give extra funding to communities with high levels of migrants
Source: www.reuteur.es, www.elpais.com, www.bbc.com
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