The European Union would be looking at the United Kingdom as its next country who would be considering quitting from the European Union. In an interview with The Times, UK Prime Minister David Cameron had indicated that stricter policies would influence the vote on staying in the EU. "We should consider all of these things. I think we particularly need to look at the rules on benefits. One of the advantages of British membership of the EU is that British people go and live and work in other countries. But I think there is a problem with people living and not working," he said.
In a report by Reuters, the European Union had been favoring immigrants more than the locals in its policies, especially in welfare. The paper argued that the "welfare tourism" earlier on was beneficial to the member-states. Countries belonging to the so-called "A8" who joined the EU in 2004 and led by Poland, were welcomed by richer economies because of the benefits the influx of immigrants had on public finances. In a 2010 Institute of Fiscal Studies study, the immigrants belonging to the A8 countries were 59% less likely to receive benefits from the country they're staying and 57% less likely who would live in social housing. Most of them were not too young to avail educational benefits, and some were old that they need only less healthcare benefits.
However, the report pointed out that immigrants were more favored by businesses, creative a biased, competitive employment market for the natives.
"Could the whole problems of immigration, problems with welfare tourism ... be part of ... making sure we have a European relationship that works for Britain? Yes of course it can," said Cameron.
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