Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-27-Speech-3-028"
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"en.20060927.3.3-028"2
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"Mr President, the ability to control one’s borders and decide who should be a citizen in your country is one of the most basic characteristics of a nation state, and in that regard the UK is very lucky because we are not part of the continent of Europe. We are an island, we have our own natural borders and it is for that reason that I, and the vast majority of the British population, do not want immigration to be controlled at a European level, believing it far better that we organise it for ourselves. But while I am here listening to these debates I am struck that too often we are talking about immigration from third countries, from outside the European Union coming in; we are not talking about what is going on between the Member States.
Just yesterday there was an announcement that two very poor eastern European countries – Romania and Bulgaria – will join the EU. Well, it is perfectly obvious that if you have the free movement of peoples between countries with vastly differing levels of wealth it will lead to a huge migratory flow; all of which makes me wonder how on earth Commission President Barroso can have decided that he is going to make a Romanian the new Immigration Commissioner!
This debate goes to the very heart of what the EU is all about, and it is becoming perfectly obvious that no nation can control its own borders, decide its own immigration policy, and at the same time remain part of the European Union. When this argument gets out there amongst the peoples of Europe, it will be a potentially explosive issue, because once again we have the political class here in the institutions of Brussels and Strasbourg heading in one direction, and public opinion demanding that you head in completely the opposite direction. You may have got away with it on previous policies, but on the question of immigration you will not. You have been warned!"@en1
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