Experts: Tory migration limit is not feasible
DAVID Cameron’s plan to curb migration from Europe to the UK by issuing temporary National Insurance numbers would be illegal, according to a leading think tank.
Director of Open Europe, Mats Persson, told CityAM last night that the scheme would be illegal as it would break rules on free movement of people. The Prime Minister has “very limited options to reduce migration from the EU, short of leaving altogether”, he added.
According to reports over the weekend, Cameron is set to announce plans to issue temporary NI numbers to migrants arriving in the UK to work, to prevent them from claiming welfare payments indefinitely. Persson poured cold water on this plan, however, adding his criticism to that of outgoing president of the European commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, who said that any kind of cap would go against the principle of EU membership.
He also warned that the UK would have no influence if it left the EU, a bargaining chip Cameron may have hoped to play in Brussels in order to win concessions for the UK, as Ukip’s popularity increases.