UK immigration will not lift restrictions on Eastern European workers
April 10 2009 by Bryan Palmer
Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, has announced that UK immigration will not be lifting the strict restrictions on Eastern European (A8) workers, which only let them claim benefits after 12 months’ work and monitor where they work and what they do.
The decision not to change the current system follows recommendations
from the Migration Advisory Commission (MAC), which says the
restrictions enable the government to plan local services and ensure
the immigrants are working where they are needed most.
Woolas stated, "Migration only works if it benefits the British people,
and we are determined to make sure that is what happens…That is why I
am delighted to announce that we are keeping in place restrictions
which mean we can continue to count how many people are coming here,
and which limit Eastern Europeans' access to benefits."
However, immigrants from this part of Europe take few benefits and
contribute much to the UK economy. Official UK immigration figures show
that the 78% of Eastern European immigrants are aged 18 to 34, with
only 11% having dependents living with them. The number of people
moving to the UK from Eastern Europe has fallen dramatically since the
recession began, falling from 53,000 in the final quarter of 2007, to
just 19,000 in the final quarter of 2008.
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