European Commission head warns UK against discriminating migrantsDecember 13, 2014 - 17:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned Britain not to discriminate against workers from fellow EU countries and said any moves to restrict the free movement of people could ultimately harm capital flows into London's financial center, Reuters reports. His remarks during a panel discussion on Austrian television came after British Premier David Cameron laid out a blueprint for restricting EU migrants' access to welfare benefits but stopped short of proposing quotas if Britain felt too many people were settling in the country. "This fundamental right of free movement of workers cannot be questioned existentially because if you question the free movement of workers, Great Britain has to know that one day the free movement of capital will also have to be called into question," Juncker said. He said the Commission wanted to discuss the matter calmly with Britain but added that migrants from eastern European countries go to other EU states to work and should not be treated as criminals. "One should stop - especially Britain, which was always for expansion of the European Union - discriminating against countries only because it comes across well in the current context if you beat up on others," he said. "I am strictly against that one should - and this is the key point - act as if all Poles, all Romanians, all Bulgarians who are on the European labor market are doing this out of a basically criminal disposition. These are people who are working to get paid," Juncker said. A spokeswoman at the office of the British prime minister declined to comment. Under the European Union's freedom of movement rules, EU citizens are entitled to work anywhere in the bloc. That has seen hundreds of thousands of EU nationals come to work in Britain, which has the group's fastest-growing economy. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. EU still discussing funding Armenia through European Peace Facility Discussions continue in the EU on providing Armenia with funds from the European Peace Facility, Vassilis Maragos says. |