The Daily Star

By Gary Nicks

April 23, 2013

DAVID CAMERON last night faced demands for urgent action after one in 10 Bulgarians said they planned to head to the UK.

MPs called on the Prime Minister to halt another mass exodus from eastern Europe with thousands of migrants set to leave their homeland.

A BBC survey appeared to firm up previous estimates that up to 375,000 Romanians and Bulgarians will head here when EU restrictions are lifted next year.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said based on the "startling" results of the BBC poll, the real figure could be more like a million people.

Last night's Commons debate was triggered after 145,000 Brits signed a Downing Street e-petition calling on the Government to extend curbs for another five years.

There are fears schools and hospitals will be swamped if another wave of incomers arrive.

Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: "This country can't cope with another wave of mass immigration."

Polls for BBC Newsnight into what concrete plans were underway found a third of Bulgarians and Romanians want to move to another EU country and thousands were already in contact with UK recruiters and looking for a place to live.

When the Europe-wide restrictions end in January, 9.3% of Bulgarians and 4.6% of Romanians said the UK was their first-choice destination.

There was growing unease last night over the accuracy of the figures flying around.

The BBC was accused by Migration Watch UK of playing down "this stunning survey".

Chairman Sir Andrew Green said the BBC's findings make their own estimate "distinctly cautious".

Mr Farage accused the BBC of trying to pass off "nothing to see here" headlines.

After UKIP did its own calculations based on their findings, he said: "Together, the total considering moving to the UK in 2013 and 2014 was therefore over a million."

The debate comes amid growing anger from Romania and Bulgaria that their countries are unfairly being cast as crime-ridden and impoverished.

The survey found that 70% of migrants would be put off if access to work and housing benefits was restricted.

Tory MP Mark Pritchard said it was a debate that "needs to be had" to tackle worries over "social cohesion."

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!