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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 29-Nov-2014
29-Nov-14 World View -- Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration

Web Log - November, 2014

29-Nov-14 World View -- Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration

David Cameron accused of 'blackmail' on immigration demands

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration
David Cameron accused of 'blackmail' on immigration demands

Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration

David Cameron on Friday (AFP/Getty)

David Cameron on Friday (AFP/Getty)

Britain's prime minister David Cameron offered a set of proposals on Friday to discourage migrants from "benefit shopping" -- coming to the UK just to take advantage of the generous welfare benefits. His proposals are not targeted at Muslim migrants coming from Syria or northern Africa, entering the EU illegally. They're targeted at mostly Christian EU citizens in eastern Europe, for example in Bulgaria, where wages are typically 20% of those in the UK, or in Poland, with wages that are 40% of those in the UK.

Cameron is under tremendous political pressure to find a way to limit east European migrants from coming to UK. The UK Independence Party (UKIP), which favors Britain leaving the EU entirely, is gaining strength because of the immigration issue, and the fact that EU immigration is reaching record levels.

Previous proposals to simply put an annual cap or limit on the number of migrants have met with almost universal hostility from leaders across the EU, because they violate "guaranteed freedom of movement," which is one of the founding principles of the 1957 Treaty of Rome on which the EU is based.

So now Cameron is trying something different: To limit migrants by making Britain's welfare benefits less attractive for migrants.

The major elements of Cameron's proposal are:

No in-work tax credits (for people who work but receive too little to live on) or social housing until they've been in Britain for four years. No child benefits or tax credits paid for children living outside the UK.

No unemployment support from the UK taxpayer, and deportation for a migrant who does not get a job for six months.

Longer bans on "rough sleepers, beggars and fraudsters" returning to the UK.

Significantly: Britain will veto new member countries from joining the EU, unless the EU agrees to limit migration from these countries until their economies have reached UK levels.

Guardian (London) and BBC

David Cameron accused of 'blackmail' on immigration demands

In his speech, Cameron warned against the UKIP -- "betraying you" with "simple solutions":

"The British people will not understand - frankly I will not understand - if a sensible way through cannot be found, which will help settle this country's place in the EU once and for all. ...
Because those who promise you simple solutions are betraying you.
Those who say we would certainly be better off outside the EU only ever tell you part of the story. Of course we would survive, there is no doubt about that.
But we would need to weigh in the balance the loss of our instant access to the single market, and our right to take the decisions that regulate it. And we would of course lose the automatic right for the 1.3 million British citizens who today are living and working elsewhere in Europe to do so. That is something we would want to think carefully about giving up.
For me, I have one test, and one test only: what is in the best, long term interests of Britain? ...
If I succeed, I will, as I have said, campaign to keep this country in a reformed EU. If our concerns fall on deaf ears and we cannot put our relationship with the EU on a better footing, then of course I rule nothing out."

European leaders have accused Cameron of blackmail in the past, for threatening to put to a vote a referendum on whether Britain should leave the European Union. Those accusations were renewed on Friday over his threat to veto new members from joining the EU unless his demands are met. Albania is likely to be the next EU member - population nearly 3 million - but there are several others in the wings, including Bosnia (3.8 million) and Montenegro (650,000)

Friday's speech is a change in tactics for Cameron. He's given up the idea of putting any sort of cap on the number of immigrants to Britain, since that proposal has received almost unanimous hostility from other EU nations. Instead, he's proposing to make Britain less desirable for migrants by limiting benefits. He's hoping that those proposals will be more acceptable to other European leaders, and that they will be enough to satisfy British citizens who are increasing turning towards UKIP. BBC and Daily Mail (London)

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 29-Nov-14 World View -- Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (29-Nov-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 29-Nov-2014 29-Nov-14 World View -- Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration

Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration

David Cameron accused of 'blackmail' on immigration demands

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 29-Nov-2014
29-Nov-14 World View -- Britain's David Cameron draws a red line on immigration