UK Conservative "rebellion averted as immigration bill is delayed"

[pampango]

David Cameron has dodged an imminent revolt by 60 Tory backbenchers over the lifting of border controls on Bulgarians and Romanians, as the government revealed that the immigration bill would be delayed until the new year.

Dozens of Conservatives are backing an amendment to the bill that would stop restrictions on workers from the two newest EU countries being lifted on 1 January. The government has introduced new restrictions on benefits for new migrants, but the rebels continue to raise fears about an influx of citizens from Romania and Bulgaria when the so-called "transitional" restrictions end.

The row comes as Theresa May, the home secretary, heads to Brussels on Thursday to make the case for new conditions on freedom of movement throughout the EU. She is seeking a cap on the number of European workers who would be allowed into Britain, after net migration from the EU rose from 72,000 to 106,000 in the year to June.

Any restrictions on free movement are fiercely opposed by the European commission and many EU member states. Downing Street claims it has a "growing coalition of support" for Britain's attempts to reform the principle of free movement after Cameron called for an end to vast migrations of people from poor to rich countries within the EU.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/05/tory-rebellion-averted-immigration-bill-delayed

Conservatives are blocking immigration reform in the US and trying to roll back the EU's freedom of movement principle. There is a certain consistency there.