EU Enlargement Cutsback Safety Nets ?

international | eu | opinion/analysis

Monday February 02, 2004 23:00

by Fergus

newsforthedeaf at yahoo dot com

Less Foothold for a Household

Today, Irish government cuts to supplementary welfare allowance kick in.

This will detrimentally effect the already marginalised in society, people who are unemployed, single parents..... and immigrants.

After not recieving any sensible answers from the Dept. of Social & Family Affairs, as to WHY the cuts are being introduced,
I've come to some conclusions.

For their 'sounds like office cowboys' side to the story
Phone the Dept. at (01) 704 3000 (warning - be prepared to be put on hold)

For my unexpert wild interpretations, here we go...

Sweden's E.U-turn

"We would be naive if we didn't see the risks if we were to be the only country welcoming people from East Europe to work for peanuts and giving them access to our social benefits,"
Prime Minister, Goran Persson's announcement shuts out EU accession citizens from Sweden's labour market and social security entitlements.

This is the current trend of fear lurking among EU governments, that enlargement will lead to people immigrating from the accession states, where living standards are below one quarter of the EU average.
On the current front line of the EU, Germany and Austria are dealing with the enlargement interface by imposing immigration limits until 2011.
Limits of two year freezes (renewable for three years in 2006) on immigration from the accession states are being imposed by all other existing EU member states except for Britain and Ireland.

This leaves Ireland neatly positioned to represent EU enlargement celebrations on May 1st.
The one-off big smile for the cameras is in rehearsal, a West to East audio-visual come-on.
But tickets for the party are reserved.
Ireland is set up in front of the EU autocue, with the license to broadcast warm welcomes of integration all on the behalf of a Europe most of which remains firmly shut.

But the Irish government also seems to have adopted less overt methods to discourage what Goran Persson foresees as "a situation where very many will easily obtain work permits and then, have access to the entire social security safety net."

The Housing Solution
Cutback the safety nets
Cuts to rent supplement come into force today.
New rules mean that applicants must be renting from their own means for 183 days before being eligible.

Renting House Catch 22
A situation now exists where you must rent for six months before being eligible for rent supplement, however you can then be refused on the grounds that you managed to live without it for six months.
Community Welfare Officers who currently administer rent supplement have said they do not agree with the cut and that it will cause "terrible hardship".

No Foothold for a Household
The new rules of eligibility will detrimentally effect the already marginalised in society, people who are unemployed, single parents..... and immigrants.

The rules also seem to be in keeping with the attempts to change the relationship in the EU between the welfare state and labour markets.
At a recent EU Ministers social policy meeting in Galway one of the themes was 'Making Work Pay : the interaction between social protection and work'.
Former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok made recommendations that issues such as the implementation of benefit eligibility criteria....have a significant impact on transitions to employment.
"Benefit eligibility criteria" e.g. the introduction of todays cutbacks in rent supplement.

Throw to the Sharks
For the authors of the Third Way Manifesto, the purpose is no longer to protect people from risks, but to "transform the safety net of entitlements into a springboard to personal responsibility" (Blair, Schroder, 1999)
IE you're forced to walk the plank, but higher we tell you to jump the longer you have before you land in the water.

It seems that the fear of immigration is now being used to influence governments, pushing them to adopt this manifesto.
Effecting Ireland today, I guess this fear will be 'pragmatically' phased in over the coming years to the remainder of old welfare state Europe as their current immigration limits expire.

Of course while people are restricted in moving West, capital will have no such hindrance moving East gaining access to an enlarged internal market comprising some 455 million consumers.

Theme tune for Europa

Fuck the Constitution
For Europa competitive
Incubating business
While children lose benefits.

Vote no Constitution
To campaigners for the fortress.
Instead build the enlargement
Of world wide safety nets.

Instead provide enlargement
To a world that all can live with.

save preference

Comments (10 of 10)

Fair play to you, Fergus!

by vk

Wed Feb 04, 2004 15:37

Thanks for the story-I am from one of the Accession countries, i regularly read indymedia.Not much is discussed about the discriminatory nature of Eu-accession conditions.The state and mainstream media- generated scare of millions of Eastern Europeans moving to the West (which wont happen I can assure you) used to tighten social welfare etc rules.
By the way, people from the Accession counries are still on deportation list from Ireland.Open country to new Eu-citizens, hah?

Deportation of Poles, Czechs, Hungarians etc.

by Leon

Wed Feb 04, 2004 15:43

//If you are scheduled to be deported and they don't get round to until may 2nd do they deport you anyway?

Correction

by F

Wed Feb 04, 2004 18:27

Limits of two year freezes (renewable for FIVE years in 2006) on immigration from the accession states are being imposed by all other existing EU member states except for Britain and Ireland.

probably....

by kv

Wed Feb 04, 2004 18:54

Yeah, probably u would be deported+banned to enter all EU countries.:-)
The funny thing is that most of East European countries have ageing population as well-so their economy sooner or later will need immigrant workers as much the countries in the West need.
But one of the entry conditions was to maintain very strict border control so to keep the poor `thirld world`people out of the West.
So while people from East Europe are/will be treated as secondary EU-citizens the countries are asked to build Fortress Europe.

Steering clear of Guilt by Association

Wed Feb 04, 2004 19:27

Re. that not much is discussed about the discriminatory nature of EU assession.
I think that people feel that they might be tarnished with the label of 'racist' even by just discussing the issue.
Its a delicate question, for political groups its a potential minefield.

I reckon some involved with drawing up the EU Constitution deliberately mixed in the issue of enlargement at the same time - to stifle opposition to the constitution.
Hi-jacking the psyche of anti-racism in Europe.

They're politicians - its their job to manipulate people and fear is a very useful tool.
Just look at what they can get away with by the mention of the words - war on terror.

In this case its the fear of guilt by association.

Why the link?

by Phuq Hedd

Wed Feb 04, 2004 19:43

What does the link at the bottom of your post have to do with EU enlargement?

Ah, sorry, got it now.

Wed Feb 04, 2004 19:45

So, you're claiming there is a direct link between the cutbacks in housing assistance and the eu enlargement. Can you show that's the case? What about other times in recent history when housing assistance was cutback and there was no eu-enlargement?

Seems like your post is a little iffy.

Not sure if it's that Iffy Hedd

by ec

Wed Feb 04, 2004 21:38

I seem to remember that ireland was one of (the few) countries in europe who said they would allow unlimited immigration from East European Countries right away after may 1st. I think this is still the case -Cheap labour probably the motivation - anyone know more about this? Different rules for access to rental supplements for migrants are being made up in the UK as a direct response to a fear of welfare tourism from the Eastern European Countries. Roma community in particular no doubt. This was discussed today I believe in the UK parliament. The proposals include a 3 to 6 month ban on application for Housing benifits. Now that makes me think this story might something to it.

work permits

Wed Feb 04, 2004 21:56

Well, yes it seems now that only Ireland and Britain allow East Europeans work without any restrictions.
The reasons are-at least, in my opinion as an Eastern European:
-Britain and Ireland are the farthest Western countries geographically ( so you cant expect busloads of Romas arriving every minute);
-plus,cheap labour- the Dept.of trade and Employment is not giving out work permits anymore only to people from the Accession countries-they plan to do away with the whole work permit system.(you can check their website-www.entemp.ie) White East European cheap labour is still better than black or Asian.

A new vocabulary

Fri Feb 06, 2004 20:30

A news item focussing on EU countries backing down on the issue of enlargement was on RTE news last night.
There was a brief interview with Minister Coughlin, I didn't note her exact words but she blatantly used the phrase "benefit eligibility criteria".

This phrase is straight out of the Wim Kok book of 'Making Work Pay'.
The mantra of European Business groups who will be lobbying EU leaders at the Spring Summit on March 25-26 to amongst other things 'renew the impetus in benefit reforms to improve incentives to make work pay'.

I'm thinking that to implement these benefit reforms governments will use "to limit immigration" as an excuse.
I think politicians recognise peoples reluctance to dicuss immigration.
This silence (or hysteria) of debate will lead to a greater chance of cutbacks getting passed.

Wild, unexpert speculation ?

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EU Enlargement Cutsback Safety Nets ?

Comments (10 of 10)