EU queries Dutch village's plan to ban jobless immigrants from taking up residence

The European Union executive has asked for clarification from Dutch authorities over reports that a Dutch town plans to ban EU citizens without income becoming residents. The village of Vaals wants to vet incomers because of the high number of foreigners enjoying welfare benefits, Dutch media has reported.

"We're seeking more information from the Dutch authorities and we will determine exactly what is going on once we get more information," European Commission spokesman Matthew Newman said yesterday.

Vaals, population 9,800, has some 300 people on jobless benefits, of which 40 per cent are from other European countries, Vaals alderman Jean Paul Kompier claimed. Many arrivals are from Poland and Romania, he said. EU law allows states to expel citizens of other member states if they pose a risk to public safety or burden the welfare system. But targeting an ethnic group is forbidden. States which flout EU law on the free movement of citizens face action by the European Commission.