Immigration Solicitors

The Treasury has announced that from July, EU migrants will face restrictions on receiving child benefit in the UK.

The same three-month restriction that the government has applied to out-of-work benefits will now apply to Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Nicky Morgan said that the move would ensure that the welfare system in the UK was not “abused”.

The government introduced restrictions on benefits in response to the lifting of border restrictions on Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January. However, fears that the UK would be flooded with workers and jobseekers from those countries proved unfounded.

In the latest raft of restrictions on new migrants to the UK claiming benefits, claimants from overseas will also face an English language test ? and those who have poor English language skills would be expected to undertake further training and improve their English skills if it were thought poor English would adversely affect their employment prospects.

The government has set a sixth-month limit for migrants to claim out-of-work benefits, unless they have a genuine prospect of finding work in Britain.

Treasury spokesman Nicky Morgan told BBC News that the changes “sent a strong message” that Britain’s welfare system was not open to abuse.

Ms Morgan added that the changes would “deter those who think that they can move to the UK primarily to claim benefits“.

"Making work pay is part of our long-term plan to ensure that Britain's growing economy and dynamic jobs market deliver for those who work hard and play by the rules,” she said.

“The government is building a system that is fair and consistent ? one that supports those who want to work hard.”

The announcement comes weeks before the European Parliamentary elections on 22 May. The Conservative Party has vowed to cut net migration to the UK to just tens of thousands ? but recent figures show that in the last year, net migration has risen.

The Conservatives have set a target of 100,000 net migration by 2015, but the figure for net migration to the UK stood at 212,000 in September 2013, compared with just 154,000 in 2012.

The increase has been attributed to more people from the European Union coming to Britain to live and work ? especially from Spain, Portugal, Poland and Italy.

Last September, David Cameron’s official spokesman defended the rise in net migration, saying that the government was firm in its objective to cut the figures.

“We are putting in place what we believe are the right measures that go towards meeting that objective,” he said.

Duncan Lewis Immigration Lawyers

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of immigration lawyers and can advise migrants from the EU and from outside the EU on issues such as right to work in the UK, citizenship and marriage in the UK, student visas and housing benefits for migrants.

Duncan Lewis is also a leading Legal Aid solicitors and can advise on asylum in the UK and asylum appeals ? as well as illegal entry to the UK and detention pending removal from the UK.

For expert legal advice on immigration and asylum in Britain, contact Duncan Lewis immigration lawyers on 020 7923 4020.