Jobless migrants CAN be barred from receiving unemployment benefits, European court rules, in boost for Cameron

A European court ruling has found EU migrants working in another member state can be denied benefit payments if they lose their job in a boost to David Cameron.

The European Court of Justice ruled that Germany is entitled to cut off unemployment benefits to a Swedish family that came to the country to find work but only held temporary jobs for a short time.
The court found EU citizens who have travelled to another member state can be barred from unemployment payouts without breaking the principle of equal treatment – even if they have previously worked in the country.

The ruling, which applies to all member states, says EU migrants who have worked in their host country for less than a year are only entitled to benefits for six months if they are sacked.

The ECJ considered the case of a Bosnian-born Swedish mother living in Germany with her three children, who was cut off from social assistance payments six months after her temporary job ended.
A Government spokesman said: ‘This is a welcome ruling which shows we are right to restrict benefits going to EU migrants who haven’t paid into the system in this country.

‘It also further supports our argument that individual member states should have the freedom to design their own welfare systems without being constantly challenged by the courts.’

Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder said she hoped the ruling would now end the ‘myth of benefit tourism’ in the UK.
It confirms that jobseekers from elsewhere in the EU are not automatically entitled to claim benefits,’ she said.