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| European watchdog accuses Britain of shameful rhetoric on migrants | |
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| The debate over immigration in Britain has taken a worrying turn and is fuelling stereotypes and hostility towards migrants, Europe's human rights watchdog has warned. | The debate over immigration in Britain has taken a worrying turn and is fuelling stereotypes and hostility towards migrants, Europe's human rights watchdog has warned. |
| Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, has said it is simply unacceptable to treat Bulgarian and Romanian citizens like a scourge and says it is time to blow the whistle on such shameful rhetoric. | Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, has said it is simply unacceptable to treat Bulgarian and Romanian citizens like a scourge and says it is time to blow the whistle on such shameful rhetoric. |
| He also warned that British government moves to restrict the access of new European migrants to social security, housing and social security, will only increase their social exclusion, fuel anti-immigration rhetoric and create even more social problems in the long run. | He also warned that British government moves to restrict the access of new European migrants to social security, housing and social security, will only increase their social exclusion, fuel anti-immigration rhetoric and create even more social problems in the long run. |
| Muiznieks told the Guardian: "The UK debate has taken a worrying turn as it depicts lower-skilled migrants as dangerous foreigners coming to steal jobs, lower salaries and spoil the health system. | Muiznieks told the Guardian: "The UK debate has taken a worrying turn as it depicts lower-skilled migrants as dangerous foreigners coming to steal jobs, lower salaries and spoil the health system. |
| "A stigma is put on Bulgarian and Romanian citizens just because of their origin. This is unacceptable because a state cannot treat Bulgarian and Romanian citizens differently from other EU citizens. They need to be treated as everyone else, not on the basis of assumptions or generalisations about their ethnic origin," said Muiznieks, a Latvian politician and human rights activist. | "A stigma is put on Bulgarian and Romanian citizens just because of their origin. This is unacceptable because a state cannot treat Bulgarian and Romanian citizens differently from other EU citizens. They need to be treated as everyone else, not on the basis of assumptions or generalisations about their ethnic origin," said Muiznieks, a Latvian politician and human rights activist. |
| He says that British political leaders have a crucial role in turning round the heated political debates in Britain and Germany on the threat posed by a supposed imminent flood of Roma from Bulgaria and Romania once employment restrictions are lifted in January. | He says that British political leaders have a crucial role in turning round the heated political debates in Britain and Germany on the threat posed by a supposed imminent flood of Roma from Bulgaria and Romania once employment restrictions are lifted in January. |
| His warning comes after David Cameron's immigration speech on Monday, which he said risked feeding stereotypes and hostility towards migrants." | His warning comes after David Cameron's immigration speech on Monday, which he said risked feeding stereotypes and hostility towards migrants." |
| Cameron laid out plans to restrict health and housing benefits to migrant groups. In a speech widely seen as an attempt to fend off an electoral challenge from Ukip, the prime minister said he wanted to stop migrants claiming NHS treatment for free, and also ensure that UK residents got preferential treatment in social housing. But Cameron's speech unravelled later in the week when government estimates about the un-recouped cost of health provision to migrants from the 30-member European Economic Area varied between £20m as suggested by Downing Street, and £200m according the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt. The total NHS budget is £100bn. | Cameron laid out plans to restrict health and housing benefits to migrant groups. In a speech widely seen as an attempt to fend off an electoral challenge from Ukip, the prime minister said he wanted to stop migrants claiming NHS treatment for free, and also ensure that UK residents got preferential treatment in social housing. But Cameron's speech unravelled later in the week when government estimates about the un-recouped cost of health provision to migrants from the 30-member European Economic Area varied between £20m as suggested by Downing Street, and £200m according the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt. The total NHS budget is £100bn. |
| Ministers have been drawing up other plans to keep overall immigration down. On Wednesday, the Guardian revealed that ministers are considering asking schools to check whether pupils are illegal migrants. According to a series of leaked emails, the inter-ministerial group on migrant access to benefits also contemplated banning an estimated 120,000 illegal migrant children from education. | Ministers have been drawing up other plans to keep overall immigration down. On Wednesday, the Guardian revealed that ministers are considering asking schools to check whether pupils are illegal migrants. According to a series of leaked emails, the inter-ministerial group on migrant access to benefits also contemplated banning an estimated 120,000 illegal migrant children from education. |
| On Friday the joint chairmen of the cross party balanced migration group, Labour's Frank Field and Conservative Nicholas Soames, called on Cameron to do more to restrict European immigration. | On Friday the joint chairmen of the cross party balanced migration group, Labour's Frank Field and Conservative Nicholas Soames, called on Cameron to do more to restrict European immigration. |
| In an article for the Telegraph, they wrote that low skilled European migration was making it harder on the UK's young unemployed. "Most migrants who come to the UK to work take low-skilled jobs, as we saw following the earlier wave of eastern European migrants. With one million 18- to 24-year-olds out of work, allowing this to continue does not make sense, quite apart from the increasing pressure on our infrastructure.'' | In an article for the Telegraph, they wrote that low skilled European migration was making it harder on the UK's young unemployed. "Most migrants who come to the UK to work take low-skilled jobs, as we saw following the earlier wave of eastern European migrants. With one million 18- to 24-year-olds out of work, allowing this to continue does not make sense, quite apart from the increasing pressure on our infrastructure.'' |
| Muiznieks's intervention comes as a close political ally of Cameron, Sweden's prime minister, Fredrik Reinfelt, described the British plan to curb access for new migrants to public services as "unfortunate". Reinfelt said that when Sweden opened its borders to Romanians and Bulgarians it saw no evidence of people from those countries trying to abuse his country's generous benefits system. | Muiznieks's intervention comes as a close political ally of Cameron, Sweden's prime minister, Fredrik Reinfelt, described the British plan to curb access for new migrants to public services as "unfortunate". Reinfelt said that when Sweden opened its borders to Romanians and Bulgarians it saw no evidence of people from those countries trying to abuse his country's generous benefits system. |
| "We didn't see this big social tourism that everyone warned us about and it might be wise to share that experience with others," said the Swedish PM. "I believe in a Europe that is open, where we have freedom of movement and where we should rather be asking the question of how to make it easier for people to come here and work." | "We didn't see this big social tourism that everyone warned us about and it might be wise to share that experience with others," said the Swedish PM. "I believe in a Europe that is open, where we have freedom of movement and where we should rather be asking the question of how to make it easier for people to come here and work." |
| Europe's human rights watchdog reinforced this telling the Guardian: "Let's face up to reality: people migrate because migrant labour is in demand. Migrant workers often fill gaps in sectors that locals have deserted and they contribute a great deal to the prosperity of a country both in terms of economic and financial output, as well as services offered." | Europe's human rights watchdog reinforced this telling the Guardian: "Let's face up to reality: people migrate because migrant labour is in demand. Migrant workers often fill gaps in sectors that locals have deserted and they contribute a great deal to the prosperity of a country both in terms of economic and financial output, as well as services offered." |
| Muiznieks said that British political leaders had to provide a positive lead in the immigration debate and acknowledge that the wealth produced by migrants profited everyone: "Migrants are crucial for our economies," he added. | Muiznieks said that British political leaders had to provide a positive lead in the immigration debate and acknowledge that the wealth produced by migrants profited everyone: "Migrants are crucial for our economies," he added. |
| He said that states had to take integration policy seriously for migration to contribute positively to society: "If migrants have no access to quality education, housing, health care and social security from the start, this will only increase their social exclusion. This in turn fuels anti-immigration rhetoric and xenophobia, and creates even more social problems in the long run. Immigrants should therefore enjoy the same social rights as other Europeans." | He said that states had to take integration policy seriously for migration to contribute positively to society: "If migrants have no access to quality education, housing, health care and social security from the start, this will only increase their social exclusion. This in turn fuels anti-immigration rhetoric and xenophobia, and creates even more social problems in the long run. Immigrants should therefore enjoy the same social rights as other Europeans." |