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| Immigrants' residents permits: how would they work? | Immigrants' residents permits: how would they work? |
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| The 2 million people from other EU states who live in Britain will be forced to have resident permits or identity cards if David Cameron is to fulfil his pledge to make rules on access to public services for new migrants the toughest in Europe. | The 2 million people from other EU states who live in Britain will be forced to have resident permits or identity cards if David Cameron is to fulfil his pledge to make rules on access to public services for new migrants the toughest in Europe. |
| But any irony involved in a coalition government that came to power pledging to scrap identity cards introducing a system of foreign residence permits will be lost as the political parties indulge in "a race to the bottom" over immigration. | But any irony involved in a coalition government that came to power pledging to scrap identity cards introducing a system of foreign residence permits will be lost as the political parties indulge in "a race to the bottom" over immigration. |
| The need to introduce residence permits to restrict access to public services and welfare benefits for new migrants stems from the simple fact that despite the Home Office's £800m "e-borders" project nobody's passport is stamped with the date they entered Britain. | The need to introduce residence permits to restrict access to public services and welfare benefits for new migrants stems from the simple fact that despite the Home Office's £800m "e-borders" project nobody's passport is stamped with the date they entered Britain. |
| The repeated refusal of GPs, social housing officers and social security staff to act as immigration officers also means that if more robust residence tests are to be introduced for other EU nationals then an easy and authoritative way is needed of checking how long they have been in the country and what their immigration status is. | The repeated refusal of GPs, social housing officers and social security staff to act as immigration officers also means that if more robust residence tests are to be introduced for other EU nationals then an easy and authoritative way is needed of checking how long they have been in the country and what their immigration status is. |
| Ministers have confirmed that they are looking at plans to take fingerprints and other biometric data to be stored on a card with a photograph and electronic signature from new arrivals from next year. | Ministers have confirmed that they are looking at plans to take fingerprints and other biometric data to be stored on a card with a photograph and electronic signature from new arrivals from next year. |
| EU law means that the need to have a residence card will not only apply to Bulgarians and Romanians arriving here but all migrants from other EU states who stay in Britain for longer than three months. Indeed, in the current climate it may well turn out there are more new arrivals from Cyprus than from Bulgaria. | |
| It is not as though the UK is struggling to cope with the largest number of other EU citizens. The latest figures show that Germany has the highest number of foreign citizens with 7.2 million, including 2.6 million from other EU states. Spain is next with 5.7 million, of whom 2.3 million are from other EU states. | It is not as though the UK is struggling to cope with the largest number of other EU citizens. The latest figures show that Germany has the highest number of foreign citizens with 7.2 million, including 2.6 million from other EU states. Spain is next with 5.7 million, of whom 2.3 million are from other EU states. |
| In fact, the Eurostat figures show Britain has slipped in recent years from third to fourth place in this particular league table with Italy now in third place with 4.6 million foreign nationals, including 1.3 million from other EU states. The UK has 4.5 million, with 2 million from other EU countries. France has a similar number with 3.8 million foreign citizens, of whom 1.3 million are from other EU states. | In fact, the Eurostat figures show Britain has slipped in recent years from third to fourth place in this particular league table with Italy now in third place with 4.6 million foreign nationals, including 1.3 million from other EU states. The UK has 4.5 million, with 2 million from other EU countries. France has a similar number with 3.8 million foreign citizens, of whom 1.3 million are from other EU states. |
| The European commission has advised ministers that, contrary to the received wisdom, the free movement directive does not stop them from introducing some quite tough restrictions on new migrants. It allows governments to require new EU migrants to have a mandatory residence "certificate" if they are resident for more than three months. The Home Office announced last month it intended to start charging £55 a head for EU residence certificates. New migrants will have to notify any change of address or change of marital status. | The European commission has advised ministers that, contrary to the received wisdom, the free movement directive does not stop them from introducing some quite tough restrictions on new migrants. It allows governments to require new EU migrants to have a mandatory residence "certificate" if they are resident for more than three months. The Home Office announced last month it intended to start charging £55 a head for EU residence certificates. New migrants will have to notify any change of address or change of marital status. |
| Most migrants from outside the European Union are already required to have a biometric visa linked to a central database before they can travel to Britain. It would become their de facto foreign residence permit if the scheme is introduced for Europeans. | Most migrants from outside the European Union are already required to have a biometric visa linked to a central database before they can travel to Britain. It would become their de facto foreign residence permit if the scheme is introduced for Europeans. |
| The free movement directive, which has been in force since 2004, allows EU states to require new migrants who want to stay longer than six months to "be in employment or have sufficient resources and sickness benefit not to be a burden on public funds". | The free movement directive, which has been in force since 2004, allows EU states to require new migrants who want to stay longer than six months to "be in employment or have sufficient resources and sickness benefit not to be a burden on public funds". |
| This gives ministers quite a lot of room for manoeuvre in changing the current rules, up to and including insisting that migrants have their own private health insurance. The difficulty that ministers have found in recent months is that the existing rules are actually quite tight already. "The problem is that once you scratch the surface it suddenly gets very complicated," said a Downing Street source. | This gives ministers quite a lot of room for manoeuvre in changing the current rules, up to and including insisting that migrants have their own private health insurance. The difficulty that ministers have found in recent months is that the existing rules are actually quite tight already. "The problem is that once you scratch the surface it suddenly gets very complicated," said a Downing Street source. |
| So as soon as Cameron trailed his intention to deny social or council housing to new migrants for up to five years, it was quickly pointed out that local councils already have the power to set their own local residence test, raising doubts about how substantive the proposed change will actually prove. | So as soon as Cameron trailed his intention to deny social or council housing to new migrants for up to five years, it was quickly pointed out that local councils already have the power to set their own local residence test, raising doubts about how substantive the proposed change will actually prove. |
| Similarly, the promise that new EU migrants will lose benefits after six months unless they have "a genuine chance of finding work" is very close to the existing jobcentre rules. | Similarly, the promise that new EU migrants will lose benefits after six months unless they have "a genuine chance of finding work" is very close to the existing jobcentre rules. |
| Ministers from across the government have been discussing the detail of these moves for more than six months now. At this rate of progress it could be another six months before detailed legislation is actually presented to parliament. | Ministers from across the government have been discussing the detail of these moves for more than six months now. At this rate of progress it could be another six months before detailed legislation is actually presented to parliament. |
| It would seem that Cameron's repeated high-profile speeches on immigration may have more to do with meeting the political challenge of Ukip than grappling with any alleged problem of benefit or health "tourism". | It would seem that Cameron's repeated high-profile speeches on immigration may have more to do with meeting the political challenge of Ukip than grappling with any alleged problem of benefit or health "tourism". |