Jobless eastern Europeans face removal

Under the trial, some 24 migrants in the Peterborough area of mainly of Eastern European origin, have been told they could be removed.

This is because they do not have jobs and are sleeping rough. They are not protected by free movement rules of the EU.

At present European citizens have the right to stay in another EU state for up to three months. After that period if they do not support themselves through work or education, they lose the right to stay. They can be deported to prevent them being bailed out by the state and taxpayer.

The Peterborough trial began last week and was carried out by the city council, police and UK Border Agency.

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said: “In Peterborough where there have been agricultural workers because of the benefit there, there has been a benefit from this immigration.

“But if you’re getting people sleeping rough, I’m not prepared to see people lying about in tents in parks and in the countryside in Peterborough or anywhere else in this country. That’s why we’re taking this action.”

The problem of squatting migrants is commonplace in Peterborough, with some destitute migrants even building tree houses as homes.

Channel 4 News found Vladimir, an Eastern European agricultural worker, sleeping rough.

He’s been threatened with deportation unless he finds another job.

The Conservatives claim the move is a sign Government has been too slow to deal with the immigration problem.

Conservative MP Stewart Jackson is sceptical about the timing: “Well it’s too little and too late. We said to the Government many years ago, after the 2004 free movement directive, that they were wrong not to have a moratorium on free movement as other countries in Europe have done.”

Liberal Democrat Tom Brake said: “Our problem with the pilot is that this is a problem that the Government have created themselves.

“The Government underestimated by no less than 1,000 per cent, how many people were going to come from countries such as Poland to the UK and therefore they didn’t put in the measures that were necessary.”