EU immigrants will stretch welfare system
The reality is that most entering the host country of their choice will draw directly from the resident system. In some EU candidate countries, payments are extremely low or non-existent. It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out that large-scale immigration will take place.
Small economies like Ireland will face major economic strain in dealing with an expanding union.
There’s evidence that the budget is already feeling the strain of extra EU traffic. The welfare budget for asylum-seekers is skyrocketing, and many of them will become EU citizens shortly through the accession process.
It’s estimated that 300m has already been spent in one year alone on the national asylum file. Unprecedented efforts are also being made to chase tax cheats for the money they owe in order to cope with the new reality.
On May 1 next 10 more states join the EU and the massive population increase will undoubtedly take its toll on the current system.
The extra human traffic from within the EU will need constant attention, should population drifts become unmanageable. It’s no great boast to announce the abolition of red tape in the welfare system while the EU still has a poor job creation record; equality of opportunity has been one of the biggest problems.
There are many challenges facing any country joining the EU, but there’s a fine line between aspiration and madness for those already in it.
Maurice Fitzgerald,
Shanbally,
Ringaskiddy,
Co Cork.
