Cameron’s migration quibble is a ‘blind’ – he want the EU to end important protections

Last Updated: December 10, 2015By

Like all Tories these days, Cameron speaks out against something while all his policies encourage it.

He doesn’t want any more immigrants, but his foreign policy destabilises other countries (like Syria) whose citizens run for a safe haven.

So he says he doesn’t want immigrants from the other EU countries to be able to claim benefits – but isn’t that a bit of a, you know… con?

Isn’t it true that Cameron cannot restrict the benefits of people who come to the UK looking for work because EU migrants who were claiming benefits in their own countries must fill in an E303 form in order to receive benefits at the destination country – which are issued at the same rates as in their country of origin for a total of three months only. Failure to find employment in that time means the loss of the benefit or a return to the country of origin. My understanding is that the amount of the benefit is claimed back from the country of origin.

So there is no benefit drain on the UK from EU-born claimants who are here to seek work. Healthcare is a different matter, though.

There is no justification for cutting in-work benefits such as tax credits because a foreign national who is working in the UK is contributing to the economy. From a Vox Political article of 2013: “UK citizens are a greater drain on the state than immigrants from Europe. Between 1995 and 2011 EEA immigrants paid in 4 per cent more than they took out, whereas native-born Brits only paid in 93 per cent of what they received. Between 2001 and 2011 recent EEA immigrants contributed 34 per cent more than they took out, a net contribution of £22bn.”

It seems far more likely that Cameron is using benefits as a ‘blind’ to distract us from other “key” negotiation aims, such as the target to cut “the ‘burden’ of red tape”.

By “red tape”, he means regulation. With less regulation, companies and corporations will be able to do more of what they want, at the expense of employees, clients and consumers. Regulation is important. Regulation is necessary.

Cameron himself spent the last five years arguing exactly the same thing, all the time he was blaming Labour for failing to regulate the banks properly prior to the international economic crisis.

The current level of net migration to the UK is “not sustainable”, David Cameron has said, as he continued his diplomatic push for EU benefits reform.

The PM wants to curb migrants’ benefits to cut immigration, but some European leaders are said to oppose the move.

After talks in Bucharest with the Romanian president, Mr Cameron said he was “confident” of reaching a deal on his four key renegotiation aims.

He is seeking a “new settlement” for the UK in the EU, made up of four key strands:

  • Protection of the single market for Britain and other non-euro countries
  • Boosting competitiveness by setting a target for the reduction of the “burden” of red tape
  • Exempting Britain from “ever-closer union” and bolstering national parliaments
  • Restricting EU migrants’ access to in-work benefits such as tax credits

Source: UK net migration levels ‘unsustainable’, says David Cameron – BBC News

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One Comment

  1. Daniel December 10, 2015 at 8:44 am - Reply

    Problem is, while you and I (and other more careful observers) clearly know how the system works, the vast majority of people in the UK do not, since they are misguided by the UK press to believe that EU migrants are coming here due to the “generous” benefits regime operated in the UK, or our “high” minimum wage.

    In the same way, people actually believe the UK benefits regime is overgenerous, when it’s in fact one of the worst in Europe when the cost of living (especially housing costs) are taken into account! It only appears generous because the press use absolute amounts, so with the CoL so high in the UK, when reported that way it looks like benefits claimers are getting considerably more than our Eastern EU counterparts!

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