Nobel: The Prize That Honours Conscience, Not Power — and María Corina Machado, Who Changed the Equation    Egypt's PM, Kenya president discuss cooperation on sidelines of COMESA summit    Egypt reconstitutes board of State Information Service    Egypt Writes Calm Anew: How Cairo Engineered the Ceasefire in Gaza    Egypt's Sisi: Gaza ceasefire embodies 'triumph of the will for peace over the logic of war'    URGENT: Egypt's annual core inflation hits 11.3% in Sept – CBE    Sisi invites Trump to Egypt to sign Gaza peace deal if talks succeed    Egypt's acting environment minister heads to Abu Dhabi for IUCN Global Nature Summit    Egypt's oil sector posts $598.3m net FDI inflow in FY2024/25 – CBE    Egyptian Open Amateur Golf Championship 2025 to see record participation    Egypt to meet IMF next week to set date for fifth, sixth reviews – PM    Cairo's Al-Fustat Hills Park nears completion as Middle East's largest green hub – PM    Al-Sisi reviews education reforms, orders new teacher bonus starting November    Egypt's Cabinet approves new universities, church legalisations    Investment Ministry, Future of Egypt Authority discuss strengthening supply chains, strategic commodity procurement    Saint-Gobain Egypt targets doubling exports to Africa to €120m annually    Egypt's UPA launches new version of MedIQ medical procurement system    Egypt urges Netherlands to increase investment, stresses Nile water security    Egypt's Foreign Minister, German counterpart hold political consultations in Cairo    Egypt's Sisi congratulates Khaled El-Enany on landslide UNESCO director-general election win    URGENT: Egypt's Khaled El-Anany unanimously elected UNESCO director-general    Syria releases preliminary results of first post-Assad parliament vote    Karnak's hidden origins: Study reveals Egypt's great temple rose from ancient Nile island    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Egypt reviews Nile water inflows as minister warns of impact of encroachments on Rosetta Branch    Egypt's Al-Sisi commemorates October War, discusses national security with top brass    Egypt screens 22.9m women in national breast cancer initiative since July 2019    Egypt's ministry of housing hails Arab Contractors for 5 ENR global project awards    Egypt drug regulator, Organon discuss biologics expansion, investment    A Timeless Canvas: Forever Is Now Returns to the Pyramids of Giza    Egypt aims to reclaim global golf standing with new major tournaments: Omar Hisham    Egypt to host men's, juniors' and ladies' open golf championships in October    Egyptian Writers Conference announces theme for 37th session    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



German minister dismisses fears of immigration from eastern Europe
Published in Ahram Online on 26 - 01 - 2014

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble dismissed fears that too many immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria were moving to Germany, saying his country had benefited from European Union integration more than any other.
Schaeuble indirectly criticised conservative allies in the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to his Christian Democrats (CDU), for fanning fears against immigrants, saying some sectors urgently needed migrant workers.
The CSU has proposed limits to welfare payments for immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria, who from Jan. 1 have had full access to the jobs market and social services of the rest of the European Union.
"We Germans don't have any reason at all to harbour hostile attitudes against others," he said. "Germany profits from European integration more than any other country. We're dependent on workers coming to us. Some sectors, such as nursing homes and home care, could not function any more without them."
He also addressed the fears of some Germans in his Bild am Sonntag newspaper interview that Romanians and Bulgarians were moving in growing numbers to Germany to take advantage of its generous welfare safety net.
"There are, incidentally, Germans who abuse the social welfare system or evade taxes," said Schaeuble, a respected leader in conservative circles in Chancellor Angela Merkel's party.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has called for curbs on free movement and raised concerns about migrants from Romania and Bulgaria heading to Britain in search of welfare handouts.
Cameron is facing a strong challenge from the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP), which wants strict curbs on immigration. Britons named UKIP their favourite party in an opinion poll last week ahead of elections to the European Parliament in May.
The free movement of citizens is one of four "fundamental freedoms" enshrined in EU law, alongside the free movement of goods, services and capital. It has been a cherished component of EU membership, allowing students to move to any member state to study and workers to seek opportunities abroad.
But some Germans - along with some Britons, Danes, Austrians and Dutch - are having second thoughts about eastward EU enlargement in 2007, which made poorer countries members of the bloc but with a seven-year delay for access to some job markets.
Across Europe, politicians fear the issue will boost the far-right in the European Parliament election. High unemployment and austerity fatigue in the euro zone have made it easier for fringe parties to prosper.
The European Commission has accused countries that want to limit the free movement of people in the EU of indulging in stereotypes.
As the euro zone's biggest economy, with a low birth-rate and unemployment of just 6.9 percent, Germany is a magnet for migrants. With double-digit percentage rises in net inflows for three years, it received 67,000 Romanians and 29,000 Bulgarians in the first half of 2013.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/92628.aspx


Clic here to read the story from its source.