Today the Prime Minister has set out his long-term plan to fix the EU's immigration system - and to control immigration from Romania and Bulgaria.  The measures include:

 ·         Training Britons to fill job vacancies by providing record numbers of apprenticeships, demanding rigour in schools and building a welfare system that encourages work.

·         Changing the rules so that no one who comes to this country will be able to claim work benefits for the first three months. If after three months an EU national needs benefits they will only be able to claim for a maximum of six months unless they can prove they have a genuine prospect of employment.

·         Putting in place a new minimum earnings threshold, which if migrants do not pass they cannot access benefits such as income support.

·         Not allowing newly arrived EU jobseekers to claim housing benefit.

·         Removing people who are not here to work and are begging or sleeping rough. They will be barred from re-entry for 12 months, unless they can prove they have a proper reason to be here, such as a job.

·         Clamping down on those who employ people below the minimum wage with a fine of up to £20,000 for every underpaid employee – more than four times the fine today.

Commenting on the new measures outlined by the Prime Minister earlier today, Crawley MP, Henry Smith, said:

“From 1st January 2014, the people of Romania and Bulgaria will have the same right to work in the UK as other EU citizens. I have been approached by numerous Crawley residents who are deeply concerned about the impact that could have on our country and I fully share these concerns.

“Indeed, I am one of the proposing MPs of an amendment to the Immigration Bill that would extend the transitional provisions banning the free movement of Bulgarian and Romanian migrants into this country until 31st December 2018. This would have the added advantage of not being lifted until after the EU referendum.

“Under Labour, an estimated four million immigrants (more than the population of Birmingham) were allowed to enter the UK with virtually no hindrance despite provisions put in place by most other EU countries which enabled them to contain immigration levels.

“In 2004, the Labour government made the decision that the UK should opt out of transitional controls on the new EU member states. They had the right to impose a seven-year ban before new citizens could come and work here, but Labour refused it. And when Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU, Labour had not learned the lesson.

“As such, half of newly created jobs under Labour went to foreign nationals.

“The measures outlined by the Prime Minister today mean that no one can come to this country and expect to get out of work benefits immediately; we will not pay them for the first three months. If after three months an EU national needs benefits – we will no longer pay these indefinitely. They will only be able to claim for a maximum of six months unless they can prove they have a genuine prospect of employment.

“In addition, the Prime Minister has toughened up the test which migrants who want to claim benefits must undergo. This will include a new minimum earnings threshold. If migrants do not pass that test, then they will be unable to access benefits such as income support. Newly arrived EU jobseekers will also not be able to claim housing benefit.”