Thread on EU referendum and immigration

[secret.simon]

Dear moderators,

It seems that the thread on EU Referendum and immigration has been either deleted or locked in a manner that that has made it inaccessible. I just wanted to check if that was a conscious decision or an accidental change as it must have been live at 16:51 when a moderator referred to it in another thread.

general-uk-immigration-forum/non-eea-sp ... 02335.html

[Casa]

CR001 is looking into it as there doesn't seem to be anything easily evident to explain the blocked access. Watch this space...

[CR001]

please be patient, your call/post will be answered in due course

[Casa]

please be patient, your call/post will be answered in due course

Imagine soothing music playing in the background while you wait.....

[CR001]

please be patient, your call/post will be answered in due course

Imagine soothing music playing in the background while you wait.....

Exactly, some Beethoven or similar

[secret.simon]

It was just an observation that the specific thread seems to have disappeared. Generally offensive threads are locked, but available for future reference. I am just surprised that the thread has disappeared. Again, I am not fussed.

I expect to be on "thin ice" soon.

[CR001]

Not disappeared SS, just need to check the sub-forum settings to see why no one other than mods can see it.

[Casa]

It was just an observation that the specific thread seems to have disappeared. Generally offensive threads are locked, but available for future reference. I am just surprised that the thread has disappeared. Again, I am not fussed.

I expect to be on "thin ice" soon.

secret.simon you're one of our most respected members

[secret.simon]

Rather than resurrect the thread, it may be best for a new thread with sufficiently broad terms of reference, a synopsis of the current situation regarding the EU-UK renegotiations and links to appropriate external documentation to be created by a moderator, and then such a thread would be open to contributions by all.

Given the heat my observations have generated in the past two threads, I will try my best to desist from commenting on such a thread, unless the posts are wrong in point of fact, which given that it is meant to be an opinion based thread, should not occur in practice.

The above may be the best and comparatively easiest course of action for all concerned.

[alex1128]

David Cameron seals deal with EU leaders, paving way for June referendum :

A proposed emergency brake on EU migrants claiming in-work benefits will last for seven years. It will apply on an individual basis for no more than four years, and will be phased out after the first year. But the UK will be allowed to apply the overall restrictions for seven years.

** Restrictions on child benefit for EU migrants will kick in at a reduced rate – indexed to the rate of a migrant’s home country – for new migrants with immediate effect. Existing EU migrants will be paid at the lower rate from 2020. Eastern European countries had hoped to exempt existing migrants altogether.

** Britain has a specific opt out from the EU’s historic commitment to forge an ever closer union of the peoples of Europe.

** One country – effectively Britain – will have the right to impose a handbrake to refer contentious financial regulation to a meeting of EU leaders in the European council.[

[secret.simon]

A proposed emergency brake on EU migrants claiming in-work benefits will last for seven years. It will apply on an individual basis for no more than four years, and will be phased out after the first year. But the UK will be allowed to apply the overall restrictions for seven years.

Apparently this is going to be a single non-renewable period of seven years, to compensate for the seven years that the UK could have exercised in 2004 on the entry of the A8 countries, but did not.

** Restrictions on child benefit for EU migrants will kick in at a reduced rate – indexed to the rate of a migrant’s home country – for new migrants with immediate effect. Existing EU migrants will be paid at the lower rate from 2020. Eastern European countries had hoped to exempt existing migrants altogether.

This is going to be fun. Apparently, the Visegard group fought to restrict this indexing to the UK only. So, people wishing to get child benefits at the host country's rate while their children stay in the Eastern European countries will start targeting countries like Sweden, France and Germany. Let us see in five years time how well that plays out.

** One country – effectively Britain – will have the right to impose a handbrake to refer contentious financial regulation to a meeting of EU leaders in the European council.

It will only be a delaying action, not an actual veto. It is not unlike the power the national parliaments currently have to suggest that the Commission think again. They can think again and come back with the same proposal and force it through the second time.

Can I re-request the moderators to create a thread with sufficiently broad terms of reference for a wide debate on the EU deal, rather than a narrow one on say the SS route?