Amongst a tidal wave of desperate people leaving their homes around the world, many more are due to arrive in the UK in a few months. It's often said that the tiny island of Britain is sinking under the number of people clamoring to its shores. A study by the European Commission last month revealed the number of EU migrants without a job living in Britain already had risen to more than 600,000. Can the economy support more people?
From January 2014, residents of Romania and Bulgaria—two of Europe’s poorest countries and European Union citizens—will be entitled to travel to the UK and claim the same benefits and health care. These include maternity allowance, child benefit, child tax credit, working tax credit, and housing benefit. An agency spokesman said many Roma families will come to the UK with seven or eight children and claim £3,000 a month.
From January 2014, residents of Romania and Bulgaria—two of Europe’s poorest countries and European Union citizens—will be entitled to travel to the UK and claim the same benefits and health care. These include maternity allowance, child benefit, child tax credit, working tax credit, and housing benefit. An agency spokesman said many Roma families will come to the UK with seven or eight children and claim £3,000 a month.
Job agencies are being bombarded with requests from many who want to know how they can claim these benefits in Britain. Some overseas agencies were offering to help Romanians claim advantages in return for a slice of the money. And a London-based company is claiming to offer ‘assistance for getting benefits in the UK’. When questioned, a Bulgarian woman said, ‘Just because I wasn’t born in England, what does that mean? That’s prejudiced'.
The way I see it, benefits are set up by a country to safeguard their residents in times of need. Citizens pay into the scheme their whole working lives as a form of insurance against when they might need help. I advocate helping others, but can the system work if outsiders claim part of the contribution? I arrived from Australia 25 years ago and worked hard for 20 years, paying my taxes like everyone else. Now retired, my pension consists of the recorded sum and a pension payment from Australia, topped up to meet UK living standards.
The way I see it, benefits are set up by a country to safeguard their residents in times of need. Citizens pay into the scheme their whole working lives as a form of insurance against when they might need help. I advocate helping others, but can the system work if outsiders claim part of the contribution? I arrived from Australia 25 years ago and worked hard for 20 years, paying my taxes like everyone else. Now retired, my pension consists of the recorded sum and a pension payment from Australia, topped up to meet UK living standards.
The UK is locked into the European Union Treaty, which requires a fundamental right of citizens to travel freely between member states. But it is not the lack of jobs in Romania that has caused the exodus—the employment rate is better than that in the UK. It is how much people get paid. So while some in the UK fret about the implications of thousands of unskilled workers pouring into Britain, the Romanian government is concerned about a drain of its brightest talent. The skill-levels and types of jobs vary significantly and include agricultural or building work, medicine, and the professions.
Unfortunately, some of the stories are true. A small number of people do arrive in Britain to beg or steal and they have no plans work. These are influencing public opinion away from the majority of Romanian immigrants who really want to work legally and make a future in the country.
I watched a film last night, 2012. In the end, the wealthy people who had bought seats on a spacecraft ready to escape a global catastrophe allowed the clamoring multitude at the gates aboard, thereby endangering the whole flight. A consensus amongst them decided if the future of mankind was based on selfishness, it wasn't worth preserving. After the hordes rushed aboard, the spacecraft didn't meet the take-off deadline and remained on Earth, acting like Noah's Ark. I like this concept. Insurance against a time of need is worthless if we don't share our benefits. However, the whole world's population must work together.
It starts with the first step.
Unfortunately, some of the stories are true. A small number of people do arrive in Britain to beg or steal and they have no plans work. These are influencing public opinion away from the majority of Romanian immigrants who really want to work legally and make a future in the country.
I watched a film last night, 2012. In the end, the wealthy people who had bought seats on a spacecraft ready to escape a global catastrophe allowed the clamoring multitude at the gates aboard, thereby endangering the whole flight. A consensus amongst them decided if the future of mankind was based on selfishness, it wasn't worth preserving. After the hordes rushed aboard, the spacecraft didn't meet the take-off deadline and remained on Earth, acting like Noah's Ark. I like this concept. Insurance against a time of need is worthless if we don't share our benefits. However, the whole world's population must work together.
It starts with the first step.
RSS Feed
