WASHINGTON -- On May 1, the European Union will grow by 10 new members, mostly from Eastern Europe. In public, the optimism is great as is the gloating at overtaking the United States in population, gross domestic product and currency strength. In private conversations, however, there is great fear of a migration flood.
With borders opening to free passage of population, many predict disaster. Workers from low-income nations within the EU will come to steal jobs now held precariously by locals. Immigrants will take advantage of a health-care system that vastly outperforms their own at home. Then they will quickly turn out to be lazy when they see how generous the unemployment and welfare systems are structured.
And they'll never go home again once they discover the burial benefits. One can almost hear the old warning cry "close the doors, the Gypsies are coming."