Jobless Foreigners Claim Benefits in Britain

From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Thu, 2007-03-01 10:26

The latest British Home Office figures  [pdf] reveal that a total of 579,000 migrants from Eastern Europe have registered to work in the UK since April 2004. The figures do not include those who have come to the UK but are self-employed or who have decided not to register on the Worker’s Registration Scheme. The Mail and the Express report that 70,000 of these workers are now claiming benefits in the UK – at a cost of £77 million a year to the UK taxpayer. This represents a rise in the number of 30%. One in seven of those officially registered is now a dependent. Meanwhile the Independent reports that Polish migrants are sending £4.3bn a year back to their home country.

H/T Open Europe

Poles cheaper than Scots

Submitted by maigemu on Thu, 2007-03-01 22:42.

If Bob is correct, EU immigrants get 77ukp each it compares well with the 2000ukp a head that goes to everone in Scotland, that 1s 200ukp from every person in England. Please don't tell me it's their oil.

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bargain

Submitted by markpetens on Thu, 2007-03-01 16:12.

I don't think the 'bargain' is necessary that great. Remember that these immigrants have to live somewhere too. What about rents going up? Illegal subletting? These factors have to be considered as well.

More Polish Plumbers Please!

Submitted by Amsterdamsky on Thu, 2007-03-01 12:28.

"70,000 of these workers are now claiming benefits in the UK "

 

Scant investment compared to what they spend on non-western immigrants I am sure.  I am looking forward to actually having semi-skilled labor here for cheap (which I think starts today if the Socialists have not found some way to sabotage it).  More Polish Plumbers please!  Native Dutch are too lazy even if they did have the skills.

Jobless or jobbing

Submitted by Bob Doney on Thu, 2007-03-01 10:42.

Considering that there is no particular reason why a "new" EU migrant should register at all the actual number must be well north of a million, plus dependents. Yet there has only been a slight upward blip in unemployment. Extraordinary.

It's hard to think of a previous social upheaval equivalent to this in peacetime, excepting perhaps the medieval plagues. And yet so far, no riots in the streets or Tibers flowing with blood. The biggest recent petition on the 10 Downing Street website was about road pricing!!

So, if benefits are costing £77 million, and there are one million immigrants, that's about £77 a head. I would imagine they are paying rather more than £77 each in relevant social security contributions. What an absolute bargain.

Schools & hospitals

Submitted by Sam Iqbal on Fri, 2007-03-02 22:12.

Bob,

Here in Scotland there are 10,000 new E Europeans pupils enrolling in schools. The education system cannot cope with the influx. Existing schools are bursting at the seams not to mention language difficulties for many of the kids which has a direct impact on the schooling of Scottish kids. Further, a doctor friend of mine tells me that alcohol related incidents in accident & emegency have increased three fold with the arrival of our new friends which is placing a huge burden on the health services.

However, agree on the economic benefits and ready available semi and skilled labour.

Skoolsnhospittles

Submitted by Bob Doney on Fri, 2007-03-02 23:58.

I don't doubt there are strains and stresses - it was a completely mad policy (or rather absence of one). But I still find it extraordinary that a MILLION people arrived in the UK virtually overnight without greater manifest problems, and no apparent movement in the unemployment figures.