The United Kingdom Independence Party have attacked Government ministers for refusing to disclose how many Bulgarian and Romanian migrants could move to the UK next year despite admitting an “influx” could lead to housing shortages.
Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, told the BBC's Sunday Politics that migrants from the two countries who are expected to start arriving in 2014 “will cause problems”. He warned that the expanding migrant population will put increased pressure on both the private and social housing sectors, but he refused to say how many Romanians and Bulgarians the Government expects to flood into the country after getting the right to live and work in the UK.
Mr Pickles’s comments followed claims last month from planning minister Nick Boles that migrant families accounted for nearly half of Britain's new housing needs. UKIP claim that from the start of next year Twenty Nine million Bulgarians and Romanians will gain the right to live and work unrestricted in Britain in 2014 under European “freedom of movement” rules.
The government say that restrictions can and will be put in place as they don't want to "make the mistake" of the Blair government by not putting any restrictions in place in advance of accession countries joining the European Union.
