LONDON, October 26 (RIA Novosti) — United Kingdom is considering implementing a migration cap to restrict the number of European Union migrants working in the country, despite the opposition of European leaders, UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Sunday.
"Restrictions of number of the migrants from the EU having the right to work in Britain is one of the measures considered by the government. In some areas of the UK, down the east coast, towns do feel under siege, [with] large numbers of migrant workers and people claiming benefits, and it's quite right we look at that," Fallon said in an interview to Sky News, adding that EU principles did not envision these "vast" movements of people 50 years ago.
"The Germans haven't seen our proposal yet, and we haven't seen our proposal yet," Fallon said, clarifying that negotiations have not yet started.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has repeatedly spoken about the need to introduce measures of tracking migration in the EU. In particular, Cameron has emphasized the need to alter the national laws to prevent EU migrants from receiving social benefits from two countries at the same time.
The plans have been criticized by both the European Commission chief Manuel Barroso and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"Germany will not tamper with the fundamental principles of free movement in the EU," Merkel told the Sunday Times.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there have been a total of 131,000 EU migrants in the United Kingdom for the year ending March 2014, compared to 95,000 in the previous year.
The problem of migration peaked up during pre-election debates in the run-up to UK general elections in May 2015. Earlier, Cameron's office said that the plans for an EU migration cap would be submitted by the head of cabinet before Christmas this year.
The office is considering various action plans, but no final decision has been made yet. Cameron also promised to hold a referendum on EU membership if the Conservative party is re-elected in the general election, admitting that his "heart won't be broken" if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
