Posted 31/05/2016 11:38
Divergent citizenship? The debates about social rights for migrants and native citizens in EU member states
14-16 April 2016 - Since the EU's pledge to remove obstacles to migration in 1957 movement of labour within the EU has increased. During the last 60 years this has generally been viewed as beneficial in the social science literature. Migrants have become better off as a result of moving, the countries they have moved to have benefited from increased productivity while their home countries have seen reduced spending on social policies and benefit from money sent from those abroad to relatives still living in the country. However, after years of increased migration from Eastern and most recently Southern Europe, in 2015 governments in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Austria are discussing plans to restrict EU migrants' welfare entitlements. The Court of Justice of the European Union has recently taken a more restricting approach in recent judgements, confirming to the member states that they can deny EU citizens access to special non-contributory benefits.
