U.K.: Immigration Remains a Controversial Issue for Cameron

The British government recently announced plans to make it more difficult for foreigners to access unemployment benefits in the United Kingdom. The announced move reflects anti-immigration and Euroskeptical sentiments that are growing across the European Union.

In the short term, London will probably focus on preventing so-called benefit tourism, since Britain can realistically do little to stop immigration from EU nations. Brussels will probably not object substantially to these specific measures, especially since the Netherlands and Germany have also expressed concern about the issue. In the long run, the United Kingdom will push to modify the European Union's legal framework to apply more efficient limits to the free movement of people within the union.