UK wary of Turkish immigration wave
By Alex Stevenson Follow @alex__stevenson
Britain should push to prevent an influx of immigrants after Turkey joins the EU, MPs have said.
The Commons' home affairs committee called on the Home Office to assess how many immigrants will seek to arrive in Britain following the move, which has already been under negotiation for five years.
Forecasts for the EU as a whole have suggested up to 4.4 million new arrivals will leave Turkey following the accession, under the terms of the EU's free movement of people.
MPs backed the UK government's plan to oppose full freedom of movement for Turkish immigrants, however, after the 2004 enlargement was followed by an influx of immigrants which surprised ministers.
The committee also warned that Turkey's border controls needed to be urgently improved before Turkey joins the EU.
It says the worst border for illegal immigration is currently that between Greece and Turkey – and notes that if Turkey joined the EU, its external border would neighbour Iraq, Iran and Syria.
"I am concerned that, if action is not taken now, it will become even easier for migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Iran to enter the EU once Turkey is a member," committee chair Keith Vaz said.
"The UK government and its EU partners must therefore do everything they can to assist Turkey in tightening its border controls."
But concerns about the border situation did not outweigh the advantages of Turkey joining the EU, MPs concluded.
These include both improvements to Turkey's constitution and the benefits of increased cooperation, they added. More than half of Turkey's trade is with the EU.
