Legal News
UK proposals to cap EU migration “illegal” (20 October 2014)
Date: 20/10/2014
The outgoing president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, has said that David Cameron’s proposals to limit EU migration to the UK are illegal.
The Prime Minister has pledged to renegotiate the UK’s membership of the EU, in the wake of growing support for UKIP.
Mr Cameron has said he will consider limiting migration from the EU to Britain and possibly introduce a cap on the number of EU migrants who can come to the UK by restricting the number of national insurance numbers which can be issued to EU migrants – or using a points system to make sure the UK receives the skills it needs from overseas workers.
The Prime Minister could also resort to putting a temporary stay on EU immigration, which is permitted in exceptional circumstances under EU rules.
However, Mr Barroso has said that free movement across the borders of the 28 EU member states is a fundamental principle of the EU and cannot be renegotiated.
Any attempt to limit migration from other EU member states to the UK would be illegal.
Mr Barroso also said in a BBC interview that if Britain were to leave the EU, it would lose its right to have any influence in European affairs.
“Any kind of arbitrary cap seems to me to be not in conformity with European laws,” said Mr Barroso. “Because for us it's very important the principle of non-discrimination. The freedom of movement is a very important principle.”
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