London: Britain Prime Minister David Cameron, on Friday, promised tough curbs on welfare for EU migrants to counter a surge in arrivals and warned failure to get his way could be a deal-breaker for Britain staying in Europe.
He said the package of reforms would require changes to European Union treaties, but said he was “confident” that he could reach agreement with fellow EU leaders. In a long-awaited speech on the issue, Cameron stopped short of calling for a cap on new arrivals or a mooted “emergency brake”, which had caused consternation in EU capitals.
But he announced plans to make EU workers wait four years to receive in-work benefits such as tax credits and social housing, and vowed to stop migrants claiming benefits for children who were living elsewhere in Europe.
Cameron is under intense pressure to tackle rising immigration, which has become a major issue of voter concern ahead of the May 2015 general election. Cameron said the reforms were an “absolute requirement” of his attempts to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the Bloc before holding an in-out referendum in 2017. “There is no doubt that this package as a whole will require some treaty change and I am confident we can negotiate that,” he said.
