Daniel Mitov: Bulgarians Don't Syphon Off UK Benefits

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov expressed his concern with David Cameron's proposals aimed at restricting the flow of immigrants of other EU member states to the UK.

According to a press release of Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry, in a telephone conversation with UK's Minister of Europe David Lidington, Mitov said Bulgaria shares the EC position that the free movement of people is one of the main individual rights of EU citizens.

"Bulgaria has expressed its willingness for more active co-operation with the UK in thwarting abuse of social benefits, which infringe upon the right of free movement," Mitov told Lidington. "Some of the proposed amendments regarding free movement of labour provoke doubts on their compatibility with the principle of non-discrimination among EU citizens."

Further Mitov pointed out that the current data, including within the UK, show that the goal of the citizens of Bulgaria and Romania in the UK is not to syphon off social benefits. "Employment level of Bulgarians and Romanians in the UK is 80%, while the average for the country is 73%," noted Mitov. "Economic studies show that the immigrants from the EU countries in the UK generate more income in the country, than its social spending on them."