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20/01/2012
Migrant Benefits To Face Govt Clampdown
The Government has moved for a clampdown on benefits being claimed by migrants after new figures showed there were over 370,000 claimants.
The figures revealed that work-related benefits were being claimed last year by migrants who originally came to the UK to work, study or visit.
However, despite the Employment Minister Chris Grayling calling for a clampdown, a sample of 9,000 claimants of assorted nationalities found only 2% were improperly claiming benefits.
Chris Bryant MP, Labour's Shadow Immigration Minister, said: "Tory ministers are resorting to rhetoric and misinformation to hide the reality of their failures on immigration and unemployment.
"Far from strengthening immigration control the Government is returning fewer illegal migrants and net migration has continued to increase. And at the same time increasing numbers of people born here and abroad are on out of work benefits because the government's failure on the economy has pushed unemployment up.
Mr Bryant said ministers should get a grip of rising unemployment and weaker border controls rather than trying to hide behind questionable figures, which include people who have been British citizens for many years, and didn't take account of British citizens claiming benefits abroad.
"Under this Government we've seen our borders opened up and checks abandoned for potentially millions of people; fewer foreign criminals are being deported; fewer illegal immigrants are being stopped and returned from the border; and net migration is continuing to increase," he added.
(DW)
The figures revealed that work-related benefits were being claimed last year by migrants who originally came to the UK to work, study or visit.
However, despite the Employment Minister Chris Grayling calling for a clampdown, a sample of 9,000 claimants of assorted nationalities found only 2% were improperly claiming benefits.
Chris Bryant MP, Labour's Shadow Immigration Minister, said: "Tory ministers are resorting to rhetoric and misinformation to hide the reality of their failures on immigration and unemployment.
"Far from strengthening immigration control the Government is returning fewer illegal migrants and net migration has continued to increase. And at the same time increasing numbers of people born here and abroad are on out of work benefits because the government's failure on the economy has pushed unemployment up.
Mr Bryant said ministers should get a grip of rising unemployment and weaker border controls rather than trying to hide behind questionable figures, which include people who have been British citizens for many years, and didn't take account of British citizens claiming benefits abroad.
"Under this Government we've seen our borders opened up and checks abandoned for potentially millions of people; fewer foreign criminals are being deported; fewer illegal immigrants are being stopped and returned from the border; and net migration is continuing to increase," he added.
(DW)
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