British Prime Minister David Cameron has promised tough curbs on welfare for European Union migrants and warned European leaders that attempting to block them could put Britain's EU membership in doubt.
In a speech November 28, Cameron said EU migrants would have to work and pay taxes for at least four years before they would be eligible for welfare benefits, calling this delay an "absolute requirement" in negotiations for keeping Britain in the EU.
Cameron said, "There is no doubt that this package as a whole will require some treaty change and I am confident we can negotiate this."
Cameron has been under pressure to take a tougher line on the migrant labor issue with national elections looming in six months.
Many of his Conservative lawmakers fear the rise in popularity of the anti-EU U.K. Independence Party, which this month won its second seat in parliament, threatens their re-election chances.