Are there any plans to restrict tax credit access to EU migrants?
"Migrant workers cost British taxpayers £5 billion a year in tax credits, new figures show.
[...]
The amount spent subsidising the incomes of foreign workers far outstrips the estimated £100 million a year savings which will result from the government’s latest curbs on unemployment benefits for immigrants."
Source: Migrants working in Britain claim £5 billion a year in tax credits, figures show - Telegraph
To put that in perspective: the amount EU migrants to the UK claim in tax credit benefits is larger than the total amount paid in Jobseeker's Allowance to all of Britain's unemployed.
Was this included in the figures of the EU paid for report that painted a picture of EU migrants adding a mighty few £100 a year in tax each on average?
Truly staggering numbers.
Net migration to the UK up 43% year on year:
Net migration hits 260,000 in new blow for Government pledge - Telegraph
"Arrivals from European countries were up 45,000 to 228,000 year-on-year, while those from outside the EU were up 30,000 to 272,000."
Surprisingly many from outside the EU. Add those two totals together and it's exactly half a million. Curious.
ONS tweet:
"260,000 net #migration to UK in y/ending June 2014, increased from 182,000 the previous year Migration Statistics Quarterly Report, November 2014 - ONS"
You should see the guardians take on it, full on propaganda mode!
Net immigration surge squashes Tory targets, but shows Britain’s got talent | UK news | The Guardian
The writing staff must be worried they'll lose their cheap au-pairs, plumbers and builders or still ideologically believe in a foreigner is worth 2 Brits or your racist or something.
So much for Cameron's promise to get the figure down to tens of thousands- no ifs or buts. It was just hot air and we knew it. If Europe says the gates must be left open than that is how it will be.
I remember the news clip of Keith Vaz waiting at an airport ready to prove to us there would be no deluge. He met one Romanian. Well he should have stuck around a bit longer. These figures include 32,000 Romanians and Bulgarians - an increase of 18,000 on the previous year.
BBC News - Net migration to UK rises to 260,000 in year to June
Very interesting moral maze on radio 4 last night about a history of attitudes towards immigration in the UK over the decades. One point was made that really surprised me and one that is never really addressed in the media - I did not know that by far the biggest European exodus into Britain from the continent since the global crisis began, over 300 0000, is Middle class/ white collar French people who are setting up communities based around boulangeries and patisseries mostly in and around London.
The only answer that could be offered as to why this might not be a problem was that the French are as rich in culture and sophistication as we are.!!!
Now that strikes me as cultural elitism to suggest Eastern European culture is less valid than western - and avoids the obvious point that these immigrants are 'the correct sort' in that, obviously fleeing an overly tax demanding socialist government, they are almost certainly pre disposed to voting for a right leaning government.
Thoughts ..?
In terms of population, London is France's sixth largest city!
I work with quite a few as well.
Yet no one is bothered that they are -
A - pushing up immigration figures.( how would Cameron's promise pan out if the French were not included).
B- Eclipsing immigration from Eastern Europe significantly.
'Red immigration ' is how one of the shows contributes described it as concern and complaint is solely being directed at ex eastern bloc states whilst immigration from 'the old western states' is entirely overlooked.
Not a problem? You can't move around London without cracking your head open on a stale baguette.