Why all this gratuitous hostility against EU citizens lately?

[Deleted User]

Hello, I am a EU citizen (old Europe, so to speak). I have been in this country for almost 20 years now and I have never had massive problems in terms of racism or discrimination until a couple of years ago. Since then I've had problems all sorts of problems in finding work. I get very few interviews and when I do, I get discarded because they say my ID card is not equivalent to a passport.

I really know the law well and even on the Home Office website it is cleary stated that an identity card is a valid document to live and work in this country.

Today I had a brief telephone interview for job in the financial sector and I have been asked if I had a passport. I said I have a European ID and the recruiter discarded me again. I tried to explain my valid reasons but he wouldn't listen and eventually he hung up on me. I have called the management and tried to raise a complaint; they said they will let me know in 4-5 working days but it is clear at this point that I will not work there.

How come I was able to work, live, claim all sorts of benefits, open bank accounts, debit cards, credit cards, coming in the out of the country for almost twenty years and all of a sudden receive these lame excuses?

You could probably say: why don't you just apply for a passport? Well, I could do, but why? I should be able to use my ID as I normally do.

I think it's all due to political pressure. There's a climate of open hostility towards European citizens. We have become the scapegoats for the collapse of the UK welfare state.

Sorry for the rant, but I need to vent. I can't take it anymore.

SailorSam

Quite often you see stories on the news where a couple of Transit vans pull up outside a factory or shop and police & border contol officers raid the place looking for illegal immigrants. It's not just the workers that get arrested but also the owners of the firms. So maybe bosses are becoming more cautious hiring staff than they once were.
It does seem unfair to the likes of you who have spent years here in the Uk, but maybe they look at your card and worry that it could be a forgery. It's not right though, and i don't know the answer, you shouldn't be forced to get a passport which you don't need.

Wyndham

Employers now have to check that the people they employ do have the right to work in the UK. This has been tightened up in the last couple of years. Employers do not always understand all the documentation, but they do understand that they may well be fined if they do not comply. Many will therefore choose the easy option.




It's not right, but I think it's your answer.

[Deleted User]

Wyndham wrote: »

Employers now have to check that the people they employ do have the right to work in the UK. This has been tightened up in the last couple of years. Employers do not always understand all the documentation, but they do understand that they may well be fined if they do not comply. Many will therefore choose the easy option.
It's not right, but I think it's your answer.

We're not talking of a gangmaster in the East of England. This is office work for a national financial company. They are paid enough to understand the documentation. I have never been told that there was a risk of forgery. I was told that an ID is definately not a valid document, while it definitely is.

agrinnall

Well maybe the rules changed. Looking at the ID requirements for DBS checking, it's clear that a European ID card is not the direct equivalent of a passport.

https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/documents-the-applicant-must-provide-

[Deleted User]

agrinnall wrote: »

Well maybe the rules changed. Looking at the ID requirements for DBS checking, it's clear that a European ID card is not the direct equivalent of a passport.

https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/documents-the-applicant-must-provide-

The recruiter did not mention a DBS, but I passed a DBS last month for a similar job with just an ID card (curiously I passed the DBS but the recruiter still wasn't happy with my ID).

esuhl

Wyndham wrote: »

Employers now have to check that the people they employ do have the right to work in the UK. This has been tightened up in the last couple of years. Employers do not always understand all the documentation, but they do understand that they may well be fined if they do not comply. Many will therefore choose the easy option.

Can they not be fined for discriminating by nationality...?

InsideInsurance

If you've been here 20 years and dont want a passport then why not naturalise to become British?

Immigrants, european or otherwise, have been scapegoated since the credit crunch, Its not anywhere near close to being a phenomonen only in the UK either as our family has spread out globally and most have reported worsening xenophobia since 2008

If you feel its only in the last year or so then I would more look to legislation and increasing awareness of the consequences of hiring illegal immigrants.

That said, working in the City a significant proportion of colleagues aren't british born so certainly some arent having problems... though having travelled with many of them they do all have passports.

[Deleted User]

InsideInsurance wrote: »

If you've been here 20 years and dont want a passport then why not naturalise to become British?

Why should I get a passport of a country that hates me? How British would I be perceived by fellow Brits?

Hillbilly1

I haven't travelled abroad in the last 8 years, but still got my passport renewed as it is easier for CRB checks etc that I need to get done regularly.

We aren't even allowed to get people on courses at my college without passport and driving license checks. I'm not surprised your ID card is not always taken as enoug proof of ID.

[Deleted User]

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

I haven't travelled abroad in the last 8 years, but still got my passport renewed as it is easier for CRB checks etc that I need to get done regularly.

We aren't even allowed to get people on courses at my college without passport and driving license checks. I'm not surprised your ID card is not always taken as enoug proof of ID.

How come I have travelled in/out of the country 10 times in the last two years and the Border Agency has never given me a problem. So the Border Agency is less strict than private employers? Isn't this a violation of EU rules? In my opinion somebody is making up rules as they go.