Migrants forced to wait four years for a social home

In a major speech later today, David Cameron is expected to say further restrictions should be placed on new EU migrants claiming welfare or accessing social housing. 

The changes will be Conservative policy, which Mr Cameron will aim to enforce if he wins the general election in May. 

EU migrants will be restricted from social housing or claiming in work benefits for four years under the plans, with restrictions also placed on rights to bring family members to the UK.

At a speech in the West Midlands this morning, he is expected to say: ‘My objective is simple: to make our immigration system fairer and reduce the current exceptionally high level of migration from within the EU into the UK.

‘We intend to cut migration from within Europe by dealing with abuse; restricting the ability of migrants to stay here without a job; and reducing the incentives for lower paid, lower skilled workers to come here in the first place.’

UPDATE: 28.11.2014, 4.30pm

Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said:  ‘The government’s own figures show that just four per cent of new social housing lettings in England in 2012-13 were to people from the European Union.

‘Many people who come here for work don’t have children so they won’t easily qualify – that’s why at least 80 per cent of recent migrants live in the private rented sector. The ones who do eventually get council or housing association lettings are likely to have been here for at least five years.

‘The real problem here is the shortage of affordable housing for everyone, regardless of where they were born.’