EU immigrants will stretch welfare system

THE EU-wide arrangements to facilitate social welfare payments are a desperate attempt to encourage EU nationals to apply for benefits in their own countries.

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.