Court Lets E.U. Nations Curb Immigrant Welfare

"The European Union’s top court put its thumb on the scale of one of the bloc’s most divisive issues Tuesday, ruling in effect that richer countries can limit access to welfare benefits for citizens from poorer ones.
In the decision, the European Court of Justice ruled that a Romanian woman who had immigrated to Germany was not entitled to unemployment benefits because she had made no effort to find a job.
While the ruling is limited in scope, it may provide some political cover to governments, like those in Britain and Germany, that have complained of “welfare tourism” and faced strong opposition at home over immigration policies because of it.
The decision may also provide a safety valve of sorts to relieve pressures within the European Union over immigration, which have grown more profound during the long economic crisis and as the bloc has expanded to include poorer members, like Romania and Bulgaria.(...)
Brussels also welcomed the ruling. The European Commission, the union’s executive arm, “has consistently stressed that free movement is the right to free circulation,” said Mina Andreeva, a spokeswoman. But, she added, that “is not a right to freely access the member states’ social assistance systems.” (...)
In Tuesday’s case, a Romanian woman, Elisabeta Dano, sued a German employment center in Leipzig for refusing to grant unemployment benefits to her and her son. According to the German news agency DPA, Ms. Dano was receiving a child allowance and support benefits totaling 317 euros, or about $395, a month when she brought her case. (...)
Most of the popular anger at perceived “welfare tourism” has centered on Romanians and Bulgarians, who this year became eligible for full freedom of movement throughout the 28 nations of the European Union.
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Link to NewYorkTimes