Eastern European beggars return to Marble Arch

Evening Standard/London

The “family” of around 15 set up camp at the iconic West End landmark which has become a magnet for travellers arriving in London. The group’s suitcases, makeshift bedding and bin bags stuffed full of possessions littered the area.

One, who would not give his name, said in broken English: “We come here today to try and find jobs. We are all one family. The police have told us we are going to get moved.”

Another, who described herself as the mother of the group, said: “We sleep here. We have no money or food.”

The latest return of rough sleepers to the area came as Mr Johnson warned that lifting EU labour market restrictions on Romania and Bulgaria would open the floodgates to immigrants.

At least 70,000 citizens from the two countries are expected to come to the UK over the next five years and the majority are thought likely to stay in London.

Johnson said: “It’s time to sort out the immigration system so that we end the madness.

“At the moment we are claiming to have capped immigration by having a 60% reduction in New Zealanders, when we can do nothing to stop the entire population of Transylvania - charming though most of them may be - from trying to pitch camp at Marble Arch.”

Shopkeepers today said the relaxation of EU controls could be “catastrophic” for the area.

Arum Tyagi, who runs a stall in City Souvenirs opposite Marble Arch, said: “They cause a lot of disturbance, touching the customers and asking them for money. One woman tried to throw some liquid at another worker here – it’s a constant problem.

“For somewhere like Oxford Street which attracts people from all over the world. Visitors will go back and say London is fine apart from you get loads of beggars on the streets.

“It will be worse in January. The impact will be catastrophic because this is where they seem to gather.”

Ali Shariati, manager of the Crest of London souvenir shop, said: “It’s obviously quite worrying. I don’t know what they do for a living, but from what I’ve heard in the media, people talk about them being pickpockets and in organised crime and if this is how they live then obviously you would be worried if the problem was to escalate next year.”

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta yesterday said he disagreed with plans by his British counterpart David Cameron to tighten migrant benefit rules in response to a feared influx of Romanians and Bulgarians next year.  “The freedom of movement can not be limited, that is where I disagree with Cameron,” said Ponta in a statement in Bucharest.

“I understand the concerns expressed in the British press... but such fears can not be used to create or justify the abuse or discrimination against European citizens.”

“I will never accept such measures targeting only Romanians and Bulgarians, they must be applied to all immigrants from the EU, without discrimination,” Ponta said.

The British premier on Wednesday announced plans to curb the right of EU migrants to claim welfare benefits amid concerns over migration levels from Bulgaria and Romania when restrictions on their working rights across the bloc are lifted on January 1.

Writing in the Financial Times, Cameron accused the former Labour government of making a “monumental mistake” in allowing Poland and nine other countries access to the UK labour market when they joined the European Union in 2004.

Under his plans, migrants will not receive out-of-work benefits for the first three months in the country and payments will be stopped after six months unless there is a “genuine” chance of them getting a job.

Some 50,000 Bulgarians and Romanians are set to arrive in Britain in each of the next five years when restrictions are removed, according to research group MigrationWatch UK, while the Bulgarian ambassador in Britain has put the number for his compatriots at around 8,000.