§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take to ensure control of Britain's frontiers following enlargement of the EU in May. [163550]
§ Mr. BrowneThe Immigration Service is implementing a series of measures at air and seaports to maintain robust border controls post 1 May and to discharge our obligations to ensure that bona fide EU travellers are processed without delay. Measures include: raising awareness of the risks of document abuse by non EU nationals; re-deploying front-line staff when necessary and trialling these arrangements in advance of 1 May.
§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely number of people coming into the UK from countries acceding to the EU in each of the next seven years. [150803]
§ Mr. BrowneResearch conducted by University College London for the Home Office, published in June last year ("The impact of EU enlargement on migration flows", Home Office On-Line Report 25/03), estimates that the numbers of people expected to migrate to the UK from the new member states in the years following enlargement will not be significant. The research corroborates a number of other independent studies, which have been summarised in reports by the European Commission in 2000 and the former Department for Education and Employment in 1999. The estimates for those expected to migrate cover those coming to the UK for at least a year. As my right hon. friend the Home Secretary said, these are independent estimates and not Home Office figures.
We will monitor the situation and the UK has the right to reintroduce restrictions on workers in the event of an unexpected impact on the standard of living or level of employment in a particular region or occupation.