EU puts Britons at risk from dangerous criminals 'Out' caigners say
Date
3/29/2016 10:15:46 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Union flags and the Big Ben clocktower cover notebooks are seen on sale in London Britain.REUTERS/LUKE MACGREGOR
By Michael Holden
LONDON: The European Union puts Britishfamilies at risk by allowing the free movement of dangerouscriminals campaigners who want Britain to leave the bloc saidon Tuesday an argument dismissed as "scaremongering of theworst kind" by EU supporters.
Polls show that concerns about migration and border controlsare likely to play a big role in how Britons will vote in areferendum on June 23 on Britain's EU membership.
The Vote Leave campaign one of the groups pushing for anexit compiled a dossier listing people who it described as the50 most dangerous citizens from EU countries in Britain and who
committed offences including murder and rape in the country.
EU laws meant states within the bloc did not have to informBritish authorities on a systematic basis about the criminalbackgrounds of their nationals allowing free movement fordangerous individuals it said.
"EU membership means we have lost control of our borders andhave been unable to prevent dangerous individuals from walkinginto the UK" Vote Leave Chief Executive Matthew Elliott said.
"Free movement of people has created free movement ofcriminals making the UK less safe and less secure."
Lucy Thomas deputy director of the Britain Stronger InEurope group described the argument as "scaremongering of theworst kind."
"It is a mix of chaos and confusion" said Conservativelawmaker Damian Green a former interior ministry minister whobacks staying in the EU.
"The truth is that the UK already has the best of bothworlds. We maintain all the benefits of EU membership whilstopting out of the passport-free Schengen area and maintainingour border at Calais (in France) rather than at Dover."
In the last few days campaigners on both sides have tradedclaims and counter-claims about whether a British exit from theEU would be damaging for Britain on issues ranging from securityto the national health service.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said on Monday that youngpeople could become a "lost generation" if Britain left andfirms were suspending hiring decisions or advertising jobs.
Vote Leave said the EU had been bad for the young by drivingup costs and forcing down wages.
"In" campaigners are keen to mobilise younger voters whosurveys show are overwhelmingly pro-EU but also less likely tobother voting.
Reuters