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EU Freedom of Movement and Migration

da blog.coleurope.eu, 8.09.2015

From the migration crisis born by massive influx of migrants and refugees from North Africa and the Middle East to the EU,  Member States and their political leaders should learn that a common migration and asylum policy is needed. Europe has to stand together in order to efficiently manage extra-EU migration flows and even assist in ending the conflicts in native countries that drive migration.

A closely related topic is intra-EU migration flows. It should be made clear that the freedom of movement is not the same as freedom of residence. In order to reside for more than three months, the right of residence is granted under certain conditions, i.e. sufficient economic resources as well as sickness insurance need to be guaranteed such that the EU citizen and his family do not represent a burden for the host country social services and they may need to register with the local authorities.

Numerous political discussions arose from having an incomplete labor market and partial coordination of social welfare systems, such as ongoing discussions concerning welfare system restrictions for non-nationals. Focusing on the latter problem, one must point out the demand of British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, of EU treaty reforms that would restrict EU workers access to in-work benefits as well as child benefits, impose tighter restrictions on new Member States and EU job seekers as well as ban those abusing the free movement right, among other points on his treaty reform shopping list. While the claim of the abuse of the free movement of persons is reasonable and has been addressed in the UK by reforming the Habitual Residence Test,  most of his aims may be already achieved by amending national legislation, without a need for treaty reform. Still, one has to ask himself whether or not these measures are rational before taking any action.

Source: http://blog.coleurope.eu/2015/09/08/eu-freedom-of-movement-and-migration/

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