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Cameron was forced to 'retreat' over EU migrant plan

Prime Minster David Cameron backtracked from a radical plan to cap directly the number of EU migrants entering Britain after an intervention, according to reports.

But the PM had said that European migrants will be banned from claiming a range of benefits for the first four years after they arrive in the UK, under radical immigration reforms set out by David Cameron.

Unemployed Europeans will have six months to find a job or face being removed from the country, the Prime Minister will say in a speech on immigration reform today.

Mr Cameron said he has ruled "nothing out" if British concerns over migration "fall on deaf ears" at the European Union.

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EU says Cameron's benefit proposals will be debated

The European Commission has said proposals by David Cameron to restrict welfare payments to immigrants from other EU states will be debated.

A Commission spokesman said: "These are UK ideas and they are part of the debate.

"They will have to be discussed without drama and should be discussed calmly and carefully.

"It is up to national lawmakers to fight against abuses of the system and EU law allows for this."

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