EU Migration - A Clearer Picture

12.04.19am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Jun 2004

There were a series of media reports in April raising the prospect of a flood of immigrants from the new member states after they joined the EU on May 1st. There has been no sudden change.

Further, self-employed workers from Eastern European candidate states have been permitted entry to the UK for many years under the terms of their EU Association Agreements.

It is true that many of the original EU member states have said they will take advantage of the accession provisions that allow limitation on the free movement of workers from the new states, although none have said they will do it for more than two years.

The citizens of those ex-Eastern bloc countries are justified in feeling let down, since one of the advantages they were sold was the opportunity to move freely within the EU, including seeking a job.

Each member State can apply its own rules on eligibility, and in the UK this means satisfying the strict test of 'habitual residence', which ensures that people are allowed as workers, not as welfare claimants.

Liberal Democrats agree that a major reason in favour of the UK welcoming immigrant workers is because they are an economic benefit to this country.

We also note: -

1. The UK Treasury estimates that the UK's immigrant population provides a net benefit of over £2.5 billion to the economy.

2. We can help to ensure that the transition is a smooth one both by making real efforts to integrate EU immigrants that do come to the UK and by helping improve the living conditions of our neighbours.

3. The UK will be able to impose restrictions (as in all new accessions) if there is an unexpectedly large movement from the new member states at some time. Such predictions however did not materialise in the case of either Spain or Portugal.