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The Treaty of Rome, which set up the forerunner to the EU, enshrined what are known as the ‘four freedoms’: free movement of goods, services, capital and people. This is one of the most important charters for freedom the world has ever seen. In Britain, there is little controversy over the first three freedoms. But free movement of people is the subject of heated debate. If Britain ultimately votes to quit the EU, a desire to curb immigration will probably be the main reason.
Eurosceptics have many complaints about free movement. They argue that our country is already overcrowded, so we don’t need more people competing for scarce space. They worry that our culture is being diluted by foreigners with different habits. They fear that migrants are stealing our jobs, coming to Britain to live a good life on benefits without contributing to the common pot by paying taxes, and are committing lots of crime. They also say that public services, such as the National Health Service and social housing, are overstretched because of the influx of migrants.
