The leader of France’s Front National, Marine Le Pen, has continued the debate on EU immigration by taking to twitter to say that French people are “not free to decide our immigration policy – as the example of Mr Cameron proved recently.”
“Nous ne sommes plus libres de décider de notre politique d’immigration et l’exemple de M. Cameron l’a récemment prouvé.” #E1Soir
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) November 4, 2014
Ms Le Pen visited the City of Calais last month which is facing serious social problems linked to the influx of migrants including arson at an illegal camp and reports of residents being mugged by asylum seekers.
Her visit was followed by one from the French interior minister who played down rumours that the treaty which moved the UK border to Calais would be scrapped as a solution to the crisis.
Mr Cameron has reportedly ditched a plan to impose a cap on the number of migrants allowed into Britain from the EU. He was embarrassed earlier this week when the German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would rather the UK left the EU than there were fundamental changes to the freedom of movement rules.
Instead Mr Cameron is said to be looking at proposals which would stretch EU rules ‘to their limits’ according to sources.
These include banning migrants from entering the UK unless they have a job and anyone unable to support themselves would be deported after three months.
Mark English, spokesman at the European Commission in London told Breitbart London.
“It has always been clear that free movement is a conditional right and not an absolute one. It is quite clear under the free movement directive that those who have no job, no realistic prospect of one, are not direct family of a worker and become a burden on social assistance can be removed after three months.”
However there is nothing to stop a person who has been deported from coming back to the UK and ‘resetting the clock’ unless they are considered a terrorism or public health threat.
As to how workers will be checked for employment offers or prospects has not been made clear. The government could find itself being challenged if it set up checks at the UK border for EU migrants which are deemed too strict or restrictive.
Ms Le Pen’s comments echo words spoken by Mr Cameron’s own MPs, including Jacob Rees-Mogg who said: “It is looking increasingly unlikely that it will be possible to get a successful renegotiation.”
Education Minister Nick Boles went even further, saying that Mr Cameron may “never be able to control” immigration from within the European Union and voters will have to accept that “a very large number” of foreigners will travel to live and settle in the UK. This is because freedom of movement is a “fundamental principle” of EU membership and viewed as vital to the smooth running of the single market – which Mr Cameron himself has said he is in favour of.
In the face of such opposition to his reforms, UKIP leader Nigel Farage has sad that “The only logical next step is to abandon the renegotiation and announce an immediate referendum.”
As well as the billions UK tax payers give each year to Brussels in membership fees which are distributed among the 27 other member countries, Britain is also contributing towards a £2.35m day centre in Calais which many have feared will turn into the new Sangatte Red Cross centre.
It will provide 1,500 meals a day as well as heating, loos, showers and beds for the ‘most vulnerable’. Currently migrants are making daily trips to Lidl on the outskirts of Calais and also queuing up for meals handed out by charity workers in a disused square near the railway line.
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