Free travel in Europe

[BIG MAC]

I see Camerloon is on his soap box again..quite like the idea of using a JCB to clean up Dover but suspect that isn't the correct analogy. Despite his hat full of promises being an utter waste of time (told you so Jocks) and the Scots being empowered to raise their own taxes which will equal  a year on year reduction in Westminster contribution - I hope they match that percentage with an equal percentage on oil revenues which is then paid direct to Holyrood (read fat chance Jocks, you had you chance and got stiffened by your own) Just watch the 'Big Hoose' prices tumble as supertax comes back in the north....

Anyhoo - Immigration and benefits seeing as I am currently a UK citizen ....Free travel in the European Union should be a given no problem with it at all and anyone who does is frankly blinkered. When we talk about all the benefit scroungers there is a very simple solution...yes they may come however there must be an international accord which says that if we pay their benefits that the bill goes back to country of origin and that goes for second generation also. So simply put Johnny foreigner if you want to live off the British state somewhere whose name most likely ends in 'Stan' or 'ia' should be paying the bill, bet they start to fix their leaky borders when they have to pay (as they should - for 'their people) I would include political refugees in this ...

Discuss - I suspect many will disagree ...

[chris.biker]

The argument is the wrong one, the socialist parties of the UK and Europe should be asking why should there be less work and opportunity in some parts of Europe. Instead of trying to stop movement they should be trying to work it so every EU Citizen has his share of housing and work in their home town. Part of this should be making countries entry to the EU only possible once they have met the highest standard of welfare state that exist in the EU.
I believe the EU can only work if it is under one central Government, as ideal as that sounds it is a fat chance it could happen, so my vote is more towards us leaving the EU.

[fazersharp]

I think anyone who comes here should be able to get any benefits, but paid by their own country at their rates - after all that is exactly how pension works. How can it be that they claim child benefit when the child is not even living here or is that a right wing lie.

[BIG MAC]

The argument is the wrong one, the socialist parties of the UK and Europe should be asking why should there be less work and opportunity in some parts of Europe. Instead of trying to stop movement they should be trying to work it so every EU Citizen has his share of housing and work in their home town. Part of this should be making countries entry to the EU only possible once they have met the highest standard of welfare state that exist in the EU.
I believe the EU can only work if it is under one central Government, as ideal as that sounds it is a fat chance it could happen, so my vote is more towards us leaving the EU.

I am not sure how the argument can be 'wrong' it is merely a statement of opinion that benefits should be paid by country of origin unless you are saying that is wrong, but you don't appear to be. Quite simply lets say one is a disabled person in receipt of benefits who lives in Germany but would like to live in Bournemouth because you believe the sea air would be good for you...or any other pony reason...well why shouldn't you so long as Germany picks up the tab? If yoy happen to come from 'stan-ia' well they will need to pick up the tab or prevent you arriving here. Just in same vein, deportation should be paid for by the country the person is being returned to. It's not only an EU question, it's a worldwide one.

[Oldgit]

have to agree with BM on this one, great idea but the flip floppers in the EU parliament won't agree to this really sensible idea.

[apage16]

It may surprise you to know that in at least one EU member state, this is already the case.


I recently found myself sans employment here in Germany and found that you simply MUST register with the local equivalent of the job centre as 'Job seeking' as sson as you are unemployed. They REALLY like to know peoples business here. If you don't then you have to start paying your own medical insurance at full price. I found that out the hard way.


So anyway, I did the registration thing. Only to be told "you haven't had 12 months employment here in Germany, so we must request accounts for your own government and see if they will cover the costs of your unemployment."


Follows a long and entirely unpaid wait for the German bureaucrats to talk with the British ones to find my status. Long story short, the UK has to pay any benefits I claim.


I just found a crappy job to fill the gap. Things happen at the speed of mould growth in the desert here. 

[lew600fazer]

Living in Spain I get my UK pension paid directly into my spanish bank account, get a better rate that way. I have spanish residency now so being a pensioner I am now getting spanish health care. It is my understanding that as I receive treatment the tab is atually picked up by the UK NHS. Now before some of the radicals kick off I still maintain a home in the UK and also pay tax there as well.
I do agree that any EU citizen should have the right to abode in any EU country, but they should not be allowed to become economically dependant on there host country.

[midden]

The argument is the wrong one, the socialist parties of the UK and Europe should be asking why should there be less work and opportunity in some parts of Europe. Instead of trying to stop movement they should be trying to work it so every EU Citizen has his share of housing and work in their home town. Part of this should be making countries entry to the EU only possible once they have met the highest standard of welfare state that exist in the EU.
I believe the EU can only work if it is under one central Government, as ideal as that sounds it is a fat chance it could happen, so my vote is more towards us leaving the EU.

I am not sure how the argument can be 'wrong' it is merely a statement of opinion that benefits should be paid by country of origin unless you are saying that is wrong, but you don't appear to be. Quite simply lets say one is a disabled person in receipt of benefits who lives in Germany but would like to live in Bournemouth because you believe the sea air would be good for you...or any other pony reason...well why shouldn't you so long as Germany picks up the tab? If yoy happen to come from 'stan-ia' well they will need to pick up the tab or prevent you arriving here. Just in same vein, deportation should be paid for by the country the person is being returned to. It's not only an EU question, it's a worldwide one.

Britain should be calling for all European members to adopt our benefit system including NHS. Adjustments to our sytems would ofcourse be inevitable but It could then all be centrally funded from Brussels. .. 

[BIG MAC]

We are the only country which can afford (or not) our benefits system. Germany fair play to them..let's be more Germanic

[taylor]

kick everyone out