Briefing

The EU immigration system is immoral and unfair

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Fact

EU membership stops us controlling who comes into our country, on what terms, and who can be removed. The system is out of control.

Fact

We cannot stop criminals entering Britain from Europe while job creators from non-European countries are blocked.

Fact

If we vote ‘remain’, we will lose more and more control of our borders to the EU and European Court.

Fact

The Government’s deal doesn’t solve the benefits problem. The only way to take control is to Vote Leave.

Boris Johnson MP statement on immigration statistics - The only way to take back control of immigration is to Vote Leave on 23 June


THE EU'S IMMIGRATION SYSTEM MAKES US LESS SAFE


EU law demands that the UK has an open door to European countries. This has resulted in large numbers of people from across Europe coming to our country. We have very few powers to stop people entering who we think can’t contribute to our economy or have a criminal background.

The pressure that this large inward-migration has put on our schools and hospitals means that we are now forced to block people from non-European countries who could contribute to the UK from coming here. This is an immoral, expensive, and out of control system.

The EU’s open border system has recently been condemned by the former Secretary General of Interpol, Ronald K Noble, as ‘an international passport-free zone for terrorists to execute attacks on the Continent and make their escape’. The system has been unable to cope with the migration crisis. Recent terrorist atrocities have forced European countries to re-introduce border controls to try and keep their citizens safe. Despite the dangers that the EU’s open borders policy has created, the President of the European Commission has announced that he will not abandon the Schengen policy. The former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, has said that taking back control of immigration could be an 'important security gain'.


THE EUROPEAN COURTS ARE ATTACKING OUR BORDER CONTROLS


Our border controls are under constant attack from the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Last year, the ECJ said that our Government cannot require migrants from other EU states to have a permit issued by UK authorities, even though permits from other EU countries are systematically forged, some EU countries sell their passports, and we have no control over the way other EU countries issue their passports. This makes it easier for terrorists and criminals to get into Britain.

These problems have been made worse by the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Charter stops us removing foreign criminals and terror suspects from the UK if it would violate their ‘private or family life’. Recently Britain was stopped from deporting an alcoholic to a foreign country that bans alcohol on the grounds it would violate his human rights. The EU courts have made it very difficult to remove Abu Hamza’s criminal daughter-in-law from this country.


THE EU HAS MADE THE REFUGEE CRISIS WORSE


The Charter also prevents European nations halting the flow of boats across the Mediterranean which have cost so many lives. Crucially, the Charter also removes from the UK the power to interpret the vital 1951 UN Convention ourselves. David Cameron once promised ‘a complete opt out’ from the Charter. Now he has abandoned this promise.


IF WE VOTE TO REMAIN EU JUDGES WILL TAKE CONTROL OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP


If we vote to stay, EU judges will decide who gets British citizenship. The ECJ has declared that ‘Union citizenship is destined to be the fundamental status of nationals of the Member States’. It has used EU citizenship to take more and more powers from the UK, including over whether criminals and illegal immigrants can stay, requiring social security to be paid to EU migrants, undermining the UK’s border controls and expanding prisoner voting rights.


THE EU'S IMMIGRATION SYSTEM PUTS PRESSURE ON THE NHS


‘Rising demand’ for NHS services is one of the principal reasons identified by regulators for the NHS’s forecast £2.4 billion deficit in 2015-2016.

There were 475,000 live births to mothers from other EU countries between 2005 and 2014, the equivalent of adding a city the size of Manchester to the population. The cost of providing NHS services to those families could be over £1.33bn. If we remain in the EU, the NHS will be put under more and more pressure and the A&E crisis will get even worse.

If we Vote Leave on 23 June, we can not just reduce the pressure on the NHS, but can stop sending £350m to the EU every week and instead spend it on our priorities. £350m is enough to build a brand new, fully staffed hospital every week.


THE GOVERNMENT'S RENEGOTIATION WILL NOT MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER


The Government has no meaningful plan to deal with this. One of the top figures at the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, Sir Stephen Nickell CBE, said the Government’s proposals would make ‘not much’ difference to immigration from the EU – and that ‘any changes to benefit rules are unlikely to have a huge impact on migration flows.’ Even if the Government succeeds in its aim of cutting in-work benefits for migrants, research has shown that the Government’s ‘living wage’ will off-set any loss of income that EU migrants face - the UK will remain an attractive destination.

EU law forbids the collective expulsion of British citizens living in the EU after we Vote Leave. Even the former legal adviser to EU’s Council of Ministers has said that 'those with permanent residency in EU states could stay'.

The EU does not have the legal structure needed to cope with the current migrant crisis. If we Vote Leave, we will take back control. We can end the immoral, expensive and out of control system. We will make it easier for some to come, such as scientists and job-creators, and impossible for others to come, such as convicted criminals

Key Facts

Useful facts, videos and graphics to share with your friends and family

VIDEO: If we vote Leave, we can take back control from Brussels

Don’t believe BSE’s scaremongering

The EU-funded Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign are trying to scare you by saying that it is impossible to trade with the EU without accepting unlimited immigration from the EU. This is false. Many countries around the world such as Chile and Colombia have free trade deals with the EU without accepting unlimited EU migration. Those who say we will get a worse deal than Chile or Colombia are doing Britain down.

The Government claims that the UK’s border controls in Calais will end if we Vote Leave. This is wrong. These controls depend on a bilateral agreement between the UK and France that would remain if we Vote Leave.

Further Reading

 

    Government concealing EU migration stats - LINK

    Osborne’s living wage will undercut Cameron’s plans to restrict EU migrant benefits - LINK

    OBR blows a hole in Government’s migration negotiations - LINK

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