Immigration fears after Croatia joins EU

Paul Nuttall, UKIP’s Deputy Leader

A warning of a further influx of jobless migrants arriving on our shores has been given by local MEP Paul Nuttall.

The UKIP Euro-MP voiced his fears after Croatia became the 28th member of the EU yesterday (1 July).

"While citizens cannot officially take jobs in the UK for seven years they can freely travel here from now on and given their overall unemployment rate of more than 20% they will no doubt soon be on their way," said Mr Nuttall.

"I have every sympathy with those living in countries which are in a dire financial state but we have our own desperate problems and we should be able to control our own borders.

"While we are in the EU our hands are tied but we are not blind folded and we can see all too clearly what is going on. We must leave and make our own rules for our own country," he said.

"We all know that there is already a massive problem with immigrants coming here and many disappear into the wood work having taken cash-in-hand jobs. How tempting for those entitled to travel here but not work to vanish in the same way.

"In six months time residents from Romania and Bulgaria will have the right to work here and as well as the strain on jobs, housing and other services this will create there are also major concerns about organised crime gangs.

"Problems have already been reported about such gangs operating in London and as similar gangs operate in Croatia there must be fears they will also head our way," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Deputy Leader.