site.btaBulgarian Foreign Minister Reacts to British Government Plans to Curb Benefits for Migrants

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Reacts
to British Government Plans
to Curb Benefits for Migrants


Sofia, November 28 (BTA) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel
Mitov on Friday spoke by phone with UK Minister for Europe David
Lidington regarding plans by the British government to curb
welfare benefits for migrants, Mitov's Ministry said.

On Friday, British Prime Minister David Cameron unveiled a
package of proposals including plans to stop EU migrants from
claiming in-work benefits, get access to social housing for four
years and stop citizens from new EU entrants working in the UK
until "their economies have "converged more closely".

Though understanding of the internal situation in the UK,
Bulgaria supports the position of the European Commission that
the right to free movement is a fundamental right for EU
citizens and a mainstay of the European Union. The existing EU
legislation provides enough opportunities to curb fraud and
abuse of the right to free movement.

Bulgaria has repeatedly expressed its willingness for an
intensified exchange and cooperation with the UK to deter
attempts at benefit fraud. A letter has been signed between
Bulgaria's Labour and Social Policy Ministry and Finance
Ministry and the UK Department for Work and Pensions for
cooperation in the field of crossborder employment, service
provision and enforcement of social security regulations.

Some of the proposals raise questions as to their compatibility
with the principle of non-discrimination between EU citizens.

Minister Mitov stresses that work force mobility has contributed
greatly to EU's economic development as a number of surveys
about Bulgarian and Romanian nationals, residing in the UK
suggest that their aim is not to abuse the country's benefit
system. The employment rate in their communities is nearly 80
per cent compared with a nationwide figure of 73 per cent and
British economic surveys suggest that EU migrants are net
contributors to the country's social security system. PK/PP

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