Blair's tough line on immigration quickly diluted by Downing Street

Scotsman ^ | 2.5.04 | Scotsman

[ambrose]

Thu 5 Feb 2004

PM's tough line on immigration quickly diluted by Downing Street

ALISON HARDIE POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

TONY Blair threatened yesterday to deny eastern European immigrants access to Britain after their countries join the European Union. The Prime Minister adopted a surprisingly tough line under close questioning from Michael Howard, the Conservative leader.

However, only hours later, his policy appeared in chaos as Downing Street suggested that immigrants from the Warsaw Pact succession nations would not be denied the right to work, only the right to social security benefits.

Only Britain and Ireland have failed to put controls in place to halt an influx of immigrants when the EU expands to include ten new countries on 1 May.

The Conservatives claim the government?s failure to act could see the UK "swamped by benefit tourists" from countries such as Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic.

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said: "With just a couple of months to go before the accession date, the government does not seem to have any clear idea about what it is going to do when migrants start arriving.

"Other EU countries have clear policies, having worked our their policies over a substantial period of time. Our government seems to be in complete chaos and disarray."

The Prime Minister told MPs yesterday the government was looking at this "potential risk" and may close off concessions if it thinks that is necessary.

He added: "We will take whatever measures are necessary in order to make sure that the pull factor, which might draw people here, is closed off."

If Mr Blair was to follow through with his threat, it would scupper the long-held aims of Jack McConnell to increase immigration to Scotland. The First Minister is behind a push for a positive immigration strategy to help to reverse the population slump threatening Scotland?s future productivity.

The Prime Minister appeared to toughen his stance on EU immigration after being challenged by Mr Howard.

The Tory leader asked: "Unlike almost every other EU country, Britain has imposed no transitional controls on the free movement of citizens from the accession countries of eastern Europe. Can you tell us why?"

Mr Blair replied: "The point you raise is a justified one. It is important that we recognise that there is a potential risk from these accession countries of people coming in.

"It?s precisely for that reason now that we are looking at the concessions we gave, and if it is right that closing off those concessions is going to mean we deal with this problem, then we will do so."

Mr Howard said: "All that the government has done is to screen advertisements on Slovak television asking people not to come to Britain. Isn?t the imposition of controls likely to be more effective than an advertising campaign?"

Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Finland and most other countries of the EU have already imposed controls, he added, asking: "Why hasn?t the British government?"

Mr Blair said: "It is precisely for that reason that we are examining doing this now.

"The reason why it is important that we do it in the right way is that if we decide to withdraw this concession, it has to be done in a way that is going to be fully effective." However, a Downing Street spokesman said later there was no plan to deny new Europeans the right to work, but instead tighten up direct access to social security to deter "benefit tourists".

[David Isaac]

Hmmm. It seems Tony Blair does not wish to deal with large numbers of immigrants seeking economic asylum. I wonder what his opinion would be concerning our immigration policies over here, across the pond. Perhaps the idea of sponges coming in, while jobs exit, does not have any appeal. Several other nations in Europe have already imposed limits on immigration? Hmmm, again.

The forming of the European Union is, perhaps, losing some of its luster. We only have Nafta, nothing more formal, and look how we have "progressed" on immigration.

[azhenfud]

"benefit tourists"?

America has 8-12 million of them doing a "tour" for about $40 billion a year on taxpayer funded benefits. "Benefit tourists"! Would be such a laugh if it didn't hurt so bad....