The European Commission has released figures rejecting claims that migrants with in Europe are draining their host countries resources by avoiding work and claiming social benefits, with details here's Paul Henley.
The commission says European migrants without work make up less than 1% of the EU's population, it also says that while overall migration has increased over the last decade, the proportion of migrants without work has decreased despite big rises in unemployment rates in hosted countries. Its figure suggests that most migrants not working are students, pensioners or caring-for children, and the majority share a house with at least one person in work. The reports conclusion is that inter-EU migrants pay significantly more in taxes than they get in benefits and services.
A spokesman for the British Prime Minister has insisted there is widespread and understandable concern about what his government calls benefit tourism. He said the UK government was working with other EU countries to stop migrants surviving specifically to get social welfare payments. Some British newspapers today claimed there as many as 600,000 unemployed foreign European citizens in the UK - a figure that the European commission says it's quite simply wholly wrong.
President Obama is to meet congressional leaders at the White House for more talks aimed at the ending the partial government shutdown currently in its 14th day. A statement from the White House said planned meeting has now been postponed to allow the Senate more time to negotiate. Aids to the leaders of both parties have told the BBC there no closure of a deal, but speaking earlier in the day, Mr. Obama struck a more positive met.
There has been some progress on the Senate side, with Republicans recognizing it's not tenable, it's not smart, it's not good for the American people to let America default. There has been some progress in recognizing that we're not going to be able to completely bridge the differences between the parties all at once.
