Thread: UK 'No open door' for new migrants

'No open door' for new migrants
The UK will not have an "open door" policy for migrants coming from new countries joining the European Union, trade secretary Alistair Darling says.

He was responding to Conservative calls for restrictions to be placed on workers from Bulgaria and Romania.

The two countries could join the EU as early as January 2007. Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green said the government should limit migrants.

However, Mr Darling said immigration would be "properly managed".

The target date for Bulgaria to join the EU is 1 January 2007 but this can be postponed by one year if the country is deemed to be unready.

There is a very sensible, moderate, practical case to make that we cannot simply have uncontrolled immigration from these new countries.
Damien Green
See interview

The European Commission will issue a report on Bulgaria and Romania in the autumn, which will indicate whether there is to be a delay.

Mr Green said the government's "mistaken planning" when the EU expanded in 2004 had meant a migrant influx from countries such as Poland.

While the government had expected as few as 13,000 to come, more than 600,000 had arrived, according to Mr Green.

Mr Darling said: "What we need to do is balance the skills that we require - and yes, our economy does require skills in various areas - and at the same time having a system that is properly managed so we can take care of all the other things we need to consider, like the healthcare system, the education system and so on."

The UK government has yet to indicate whether workers from Romania and Bulgaria will enjoy the full working rights associated with being an EU citizen from the outset.

Other countries had imposed quotas on immigrants at the time of the 2004 expansion.

Mr Green, speaking on BBC News 24 Sunday, said: "What we are saying is that we should learn from the government's mistaken planning over Poland and the other countries and we should use the powers that are there in the [EU] treaty to regulate the flow, to control the flow of people coming from Bulgaria and Romania."

Pressure

Another influx could "put unacceptable pressure on public services, on school places, on the provision of housing, which causes big problems for certain local communities".

He said a leaked Home Office report had suggested 45,000 criminals could be considering entering the UK.

"That's one concern but even without the criminal element, there is a very sensible, moderate, practical case to make that we cannot simply have uncontrolled immigration from these new countries."

He did not put a figure on how many Bulgarians and Romanians should be allowed in, saying it depended on what controls other European countries imposed.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/u ... 268966.stm

Published: 2006/08/20 14:52:32 GMT

© BBC MMVI

While the government had expected as few as 13,000 to come, more than 600,000 had arrived, according to Mr Green.

Isn't that always the case? When the United States passed its 1986 "amnesty" bill in 1986, it was thought only 1 to 2 million illegals would recieve amnesty - the number ended up being in excess of 3 million. Once again the senate is attempting to pass an amnesty bill that will give up to 11 million illegal immigrants amnesty, but truth be known, it would probably give amnesty to over 20 million. Hopefully the American public has learned its lesson and is wise enough to multiply any number the federal government gives us by two. I'm going to assume the federal government knows the number of illegals in this country exceeds 20 million, but are just afraid to report the truth. If the actual number were to go out, it would automatically kill any chance of a guest-worker program and amnesty.

Also, why does President Bush keep demanding a guest-worker program? Doesn't he know we already have several programs that fit the bill of guest-worker programs? Truth be known, he just wants another program that is larger in scope than anything already in place.

"That's one concern but even without the criminal element, there is a very sensible, moderate, practical case to make that we cannot simply have uncontrolled immigration from these new countries."

Join the crowd, many of us here in the United States feel we can't have uncontrolled illegal immigration from any country!

NoIllegalsAllowed,

Cool new Avatar! I don't mean to get off topic, but your Avatar expresses my views very clear about a certain country.

Annie