Bulgarian and Romanian migration control to end

By THEO USHERWOOD
Published on 12/11/2012 02:56

THERE will be no further controls to stop Bulgarian and Romanian migrants coming to the UK from the end of next year, Home Secretary Theresa May said yesterday.

Mrs May explained that from December 2013 there would be nothing to prevent migrants from the two eastern European countries coming to Britain.

Both countries joined the EU in 2007 but strict controls prevented their residents moving to the UK and other member states. These come to an end in December 2013 and there will be no further controls put in place.

Mrs May said ministers could now look at what attracted migrants to Britain, such as the NHS and benefits system. She said the government was still aiming to reduce immigration to tens of thousands, a key pledge of the Tories’ 2010 election manifesto.

She said: “There is a growing group of countries in the European Union who are very concerned about the abuse of free movement. I will be looking at transitional controls on Romania and Bulgaria at the end of December 2013. I will be looking at what we call the pull factors. What is it that attracts people sometimes to come over here to the United Kingdom?”