This is a difficult area to address without the emotive language and strong feelings that inevitably result in any suggestions of change
Nevertheless, change must occur because the country simply does not have the resources to sustain an open ended funding requirement
There are a number of components that make up the demands on welfare
- Migration
- Asylum Seekers
- Jobless
Migration
Nearly every country in the world encourages the 'right kind' of migration and prohibits foreign nationals with nothing to offer. Potentially they contribute little to the country and are regarded as a drain on the available resources.
Nevertheless, the EU has an 'open door' policy that allows free movement of national between countries. However, the disadvantage of this approach is that it ignores the disparity between average salaries in the different countries. The result of this disparity is a massive population polarisation to regions that offer the best opportunities, or best welfare benefits
Therefore the question has to be - 'what attracts such large numbers of foreign nationals to the UK' ? Could it be the welfare system as a whole and more specifically benefit hand-outs on arrival and free access to institutions such as the NHS ?
Asylum Seekers
Surely the underlying concept behind asylum is that those in fear of their lives are given shelter in the first 'safe haven' country they encounter?
Any other approach, such a choosing a country in which to apply for asylum, results in a lifestyle choice, which arguably, cannot be the ethos behind the process of asylum
With this in mind why does the UK become the country of choice for many asylum seekers, once again is it because of the benefits system and what can be extracted from the State?
Jobless
A lot of this area revolves around a perceived 'quality of life' and not attaching any stigma to those unfortunate enough to be without employment
However, it has never really been explained to the public at large why luxuries such as Sky television, top of the range mobile phones (iPhones) etc. form part of a basic lifestyle; especially if funded by the taxpayer
Also what about other areas such as smoking and alcohol? Bearing in mind that the State recognises the harmful effects of smoking and subsequent pressure on the NHS, it does seem rather incongrous that the taxpayer is funding these past times instead of encouraging people to stop smoking; especially with the prohibitive costs involved
Possible Partial Solution
Clearly the aspect that makes the UK attractive to foreign nationals is the Welfare System and all it's components
Therefore why not render it unattractive to those entering the country until they have been here 5 years.
By unnatractive is meant - ineligible for any State Welfare whatsoever for the initial period of 5 years and then potentially limited to what has been paid into the system by way of National Insurance, Tax etc.
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Tags: State Benefits |
Categories: UK Government