Germany's coalition government calls for tighter restrictions on the number of Romanians and Bulgarians expected to swarm into the country in New Year

  • The Christian Social Union fears that 'poverty migrants' will burden Germany's already struggling health and welfare services
  • Many German cities have pleaded with the government as Romanian and Bulgarian migrants 'ghettoize' communities
  • The CSU is demanding tougher restrictions on EU-member state migrants

An influential segment of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government is demanding stiffer controls on the influx of Romanians and Bulgarians expected to swarm into Germany after the New Year’s Day veto on eastern European jobseekers expires.

The demands by the Christian Social Union (CSU) - the centre-right party of Bavaria in power with Angela Merkel's CDU - mirror those of many UK politicians fearful of the waves of economic refugees placing yet more burdens on struggling health and social welfare services.

For the past year many German cities have pleaded for understanding from the central government as Romanians and Bulgarians ‘ghettoize’ parts of their communities, particularly in Duisburg, Dortmund and other cities of the former industrialised Ruhr region.

Stiffer controls: The Christian Social Union (CSU), an influential segment of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government, is demanding tighter controls over the number of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants expected to enter after the New Year's Day veto

Stiffer controls: The Christian Social Union (CSU), an influential segment of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government, is demanding tighter controls over the number of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants expected to enter after the New Year's Day veto

Now the CSU has triggered a fierce national debate with the release of a weekend paper demanding a tougher course against ‘poverty migrants’ from those EU members states expected to arrive in huge numbers as they now achieve full labour rights.

The CSU wants in particular to limit their access to the generous provisions of the German welfare state.

In the CSU paper it says: ‘The continued abuse of European freedom of movement due to poverty immigration threatens not only the acceptance of free movement of citizens but brings municipalities to the limits of their financial performance.’

'Ghettoizing' Germany: Many German cities have pleaded for understanding from the central government as Romanians and Bulgarians 'poverty migrants' move to communities such as Duisburg and Dortmund (file photo)

'Ghettoizing' Germany: Many German cities have pleaded for understanding from the central government as Romanians and Bulgarians 'poverty migrants' move to communities such as Duisburg and Dortmund (file photo)

The CSU wants the government to adopt the phrase: ‘Whoever cheats is sent packing.’ 

The Institute for Employment Research (IAB) predicts that the number of Romanians and Bulgarians in Germany could rise from 100,000 to 180,000 in 2014. 

About 370,000 citizens from both countries currently live in Germany. In the average wage table for the EU the two countries rank in the last two places.

Many Romanian and Bulgarian citizens who travelled to Germany in the past year circumnavigated welfare rules by claiming child benefits for as many as 14 children in a single family and by men falsely claiming self-employment to take jobs undercutting poorly paid natives.

The CSU recommends a three month suspension from accessing social services for the first three months of residence and an efficient system whereby people who are expelled for cheating the welfare system are placed on some kind of register to prevent re-entry.

'Poverty migrants': The fears of the CSU mirror those of UK politicians who worry about how the wave of economic refugees will place more burdens on the struggling health and social welfare services as Bulgarian nationals queue outside the British Embassy in Sofia for their visa applications

'Poverty migrants': The fears of the CSU mirror those of UK politicians who worry about how the wave of economic refugees will place more burdens on the struggling health and social welfare services as Bulgarian nationals queue outside the British Embassy in Sofia for their visa applications