Post by Focus on Mar 13, 2013 16:22:51 GMT
DAVID CAMERON was given his starkest warning yet last night of the public’s anger at the threat of another wave of mass immigration from the European Union.
More than 100,000 have so far signed a petition opposing moves to relax border controls with Romania and Bulgaria.
David Cameron will have to take charge if he wants policy on immigration flow
The figure is enough to trigger a House of Commons debate on the latest EU border shake-up with Eastern Europe.
It comes days after Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith admitted the influx could plunge Britain into “crisis”.
MPs and campaigners last night demanded action from ministers to protect Britain from another tide of benefit tourists. Since November, thousands of voters have signed the e-petition calling for the easing of border restrictions on Bulgaria and Romania due at the end of this year to be scrapped.
It also calls for the Government to “renegotiate immigration laws within the EU”.
UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said: “This petition shows that the failures of successive governments’ policy
on migration is deeply felt in the country. People are saying enough is enough.
“Parliament must now debate the issue but as members of the EU it doesn’t matter what MPs think. By law our doors must be nailed open.”
Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “This demonstrates that people want the Government to come forward with proposals as soon as possible to deal with what could turn into a big crisis for this country. “I have absolutely no doubt this will be debated in Parliament in the near future.”
Sir Andrew Green, of the population think-tank MigrationWatch, said: “This is another indication of the strength of public concern about the risk of a significant inflow from Romania and Bulgaria next year.”
Iain Duncan Smith told MPs that there was progress in limiting migrants' access to parts of society
The EU border shake-up comes after the two former Eastern Bloc nations joined the EU in 2007.
Under Brussels freedom-of-movement rules, all 29 million citizens of the two countries will get the right to live and work anywhere in the EU from January 1, 2014.
Ministers insist they are working on strict welfare rules to stop migrants gaining immediate access to benefits to reduce the incentive to head to the UK.
But there are fears it will lead to another tide of mass immigration similar to that when Poland and seven other Eastern European nations joined the EU in 2004.
MigrationWatch estimates up to 50,000 migrants a year could head here from Romania and Bulgaria when temporary “transitional controls” on movement end.
The petition was set up by Michael Fisher, a member of the public. It urges the Home Office to “stop mass immigration from Bulgarian and Romanians in 2014, when EU restrictions on immigration are relaxed”.
Is this what Britain can expect?
It adds: “I request the Government suspends the easing on these restrictions for another five years [and] the Government requests to renegotiate the immigration laws within the EU.” Any petition with 100,000 signatures must be submitted to the Commons Backbench Business Committee for a possible Parliamentary debate.
Commons leader Sir George Young is now expected to write to the committee to draw attention to the petition.
A committee spokesman said that allocating Parliamentary time for a debate would be considered if an MP pressed for it to be discussed.
Last week Mr Duncan Smith told MPs ministers were exploring ways of limiting migrants’ access to social housing, healthcare and legal aid.
He added: “There is somewhat of a crisis over this. For the last two years I have been fighting a rearguard action over what was left to me by the last government.”
Ministers have refused to estimate the number of Bulgarians and Romanians who are expected to come to Britain.
A Home Office spokesman said yesterday: “Rather than produce speculative projections, we are focusing on our work to cut out the abuse of free movement and address the pull factors that drive European immigration to Britain” -- "David Cameron will have to take charge if he wants policy on immigration flow" - Ppffttt ... as Miliband said to the Prime Minister in Parliament earlier today - "the Prime Minister couldn't take charge of a p-ss up in a brewery!!" ( mind you Miliband's no better!! ) - Fx
