Economic Migrants:what if they can't earn enough to support themselves

Personally, I know of a number of economic migrants that have settled in the UK and have not been able to earn enough income to support themselves. To my mind, it would seem reasonable to insist that they return to their motherland after having had a reasonable period of time to fix themselves up with work that pays a living wage. Alternatively, it would seem reasonable to insist that their country of origin provide all necessary financial assistance required.

These thoughts crossed my mind as I know a number of migrants that have set themselves the aims of getting a council house / social housing and then maximising any opportunity to take whatever the system will allow them (& they've been successful in doing so). I realise people say this doesn't happen, but I know at least four people doing this. I think they should be renting from private landlords and supporting themselves. I'm concerned that supporting economic migrants that have made poor decisions is just an unaffordable luxury, given the pressure on local services, the national debt, the shortage of housing for the poor, and the pressure to take more needy refugees. In short, I think our local and national government need to adopt a sustainable approach to these matters and be more realistic about the practicalities of supporting people from overseas.

What are your thoughts? Any solutions?

They are not allowed to take anything from the system unless there is a reciprocal agreement between the British government and their home nation and that includes things like housing and unemployment benefit or whatever it's called these days. EU nationals are not classed as migrants under immigration control, maybe this should change? It would make peoples' summer holiday a lot more cumbersome by having to get a visa

. . .I know a number of migrants that have set themselves the aims of getting a council house / social housing and then maximising any opportunity to take whatever the system will allow them (& they've been successful in doing so). I realise people say this doesn't happen, but I know at least four people doing this.

^^^^^^^^^^

This.

Benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice.

Then again, people at all levels of society have a similar mindset, from Roma immigrants having dozens of kids, to pushy parents falsifying an address to get into a better school, to the middle classes embellishing an insurance claim, to the high-end tax-evaders at the top of the ladder.

^^^^^^^^^^

This.

 

Benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice.

 

Then again, people at all levels of society have a similar mindset, from Roma immigrants having dozens of kids, to pushy parents falsifying an address to get into a better school, to the middle classes embellishing an insurance claim, to the high-end tax-evaders at the top of the ladder.

Thanks Joker - someone has actually summed up all the people! I certainly agree though personally I get no benefits!

Simple solution-- adopt the Austrailian method catch em on the way here and ship them off to Scotland, plenty of remote islands up there for them to colonise. Give them a set of gardening/building tools each, a bag of seeds and let them get on with it!!

Simple solution-- adopt the Austrailian method catch em on the way here and ship them off to Scotland, plenty of remote islands up there for them to colonise. Give them a set of gardening/building tools each, a bag of seeds and let them get on with it!!

Catch?

If we're talking about economic migrants then they have a visa and are here legally.

If we're talking about EU nationals then they aren't economic migrants and have a right to be here.

We definitely aren't talking about illegal immigrants or asylum seekers, so what "catching" is needed?

Catch?

 

If we're talking about EU nationals then they aren't economic migrants and have a right to be here.

QUOTE]

 

This thread was intended to include EU nationals from overseas that come to the UK to increase their earnings as economic migrants (sometimes fleeing poverty), as the politicians refer to them as such.

We have reciprocal agreements that allow UK nationals to go to anywhere in the EU and claim benefits.

We have reciprocal agreements that allow UK nationals to go to anywhere in the EU and claim benefits.

I wonder how well they were draughted and whether the agreements are ever reviewed and revised? No doubt they were hurriedly draughted in order to meet some dumb arbitrary deadline and have not been reviewed or revised since. In which case, they are probably no longer suitable or appropriate. Perhaps that's why the politicians do little, if anything, to bring them to our attention? Such agreements should be reviewed and revised at least every five years, in my opinion.

A reciprocal agreement doesn't take that much effort surely.

Citizens of the EU can settle anywhere within the EU, once living there they can claim whatever benefits are available as appropriate as if they were citizens of that country.

A reciprocal agreement doesn't take that much effort surely.

 

Citizens of the EU can settle anywhere within the EU, once living there they can claim whatever benefits are available as appropriate as if they were citizens of that country.

That's right, but they are not migrants and not subject to immigration control at present

We have reciprocal agreements that allow UK nationals to go to anywhere in the EU and claim benefits.

No we don't. I have lived in Spain and I have friends from all over Europe. The laws are not general. You cannot live in Spain and claim benefits until you have paid into their system for at least 6 months continuously. Likewise in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France.