Thursday, 13 November 2014

Greens welcome new report showing net contribution of EU nationals in UK

At an event yesterday in the European Parliament to launch a new report, [1] Jean Lambert said of the study:
This study shows, yet again, that the Government’s portrayal of EU nationals in the UK as being takers rather than givers is just not backed by evidence.
Covering the period from 2007 – 2013, the findings from four countries: the UK, Austria, Germany and The Netherlands shows that EU migrants made a positive contribution to their respective state budgets. The total taxes paid in exceeded the total benefits received by EU migrants by between 0.2 and 0.9 % of GDP, on conservative estimates.
Directly responding to some member states, the UK included, who want to restrict the right to free movement of people in the EU, the new report from the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) [2] further showed that:
·      EU migrants received, on average, 50% less in terms of social benefit expenditure than the average citizen of the countries studied
·      Even when pension-related benefits and contributions are not taken into account, the net positive contribution remains for the UK
Hosting the launch event in the European Parliament, Green London MEP Jean Lambert concluded:
While these findings are welcome the conclusion isn’t new, and you certainly wouldn’t know it based on the reporting of the mainstream UK press.
If the Prime Minister really wants to reduce benefit payments, he should concentrate on ensuring people are paid decent wages so they don’t need state top-ups. Pay is a national responsibility.

At an event yesterday in the European Parliament to launch a new report, [1] Jean Lambert said of the study:
‘This study shows, yet again, that the Government’s portrayal of EU nationals in the UK as being takers rather than givers is just not backed by evidence.’
Covering the period from 2007 – 2013, the findings from four countries: the UK, Austria, Germany and The Netherlands shows that EU migrants made a positive contribution to their respective state budgets. The total taxes paid in exceeded the total benefits received by EU migrants by between 0.2 and 0.9 % of GDP, on conservative estimates.
Directly responding to some member states, the UK included, who want to restrict the right to free movement of people in the EU, the new report from the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) [2] further showed that:

  • EU migrants received, on average, 50% less in terms of social benefit expenditure than the average citizen of the countries studied

  • Even when pension-related benefits and contributions are not taken into account, the net positive contribution remains for the UK

Hosting the launch event in the European Parliament, Green London MEP Jean Lambert concluded:
‘While these findings are welcome the conclusion isn’t new, and you certainly wouldn’t know it based on the reporting of the mainstream UK press.
‘If the Prime Minister really wants to reduce benefit payments, he should concentrate on ensuring people are paid decent wages so they don’t need state top-ups. Pay is a national responsibility.’
-ends-
Notes To Editors
[1] http://www.ecas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Fiscal-Impact-of-EU-migrants.pdf
[2] http://www.ecas.org/
- See more at: http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/2014/11/13/eu-migrants-pay-take-another-study-finds/#sthash.OeInKzTv.dpuf

1 comment:

  1. The press and other media misinformation campaign has pandered to uninformed prejudices and we have fallen for it.

    The country is in a bad way economically and in such times, people look for someone to blame. Foreigners are always a reliable target because they are different.

    Whilst we, the people, are busy aiming our ire at the foreign wallahs, the politician sahibs are rubbing their hands in glee because the heat is off them for their culpable mismanagement of just about everything.

    I am at a loss as to why immigrants (who now seem to be called migrants - have I missed something?) are so much objected to anyway. After all, successive governments have been busy creating the right circumstances for our country to effectively be owned by every foreign power going. The rail companies are foreign-owned, the utility companies likewise, the car manufacturers ditto, and so on and so forth.

    .....and all the while, we are busy objecting to a few foreign people coming over here. Horses and stable doors come to mind.....

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