250000 Bulgarians and Romanians 'to head to UK' - Telegraph.co.uk

The actual number could even be significantly higher as the 2.5 million Roma in Bulgaria and Romania are a "wild card", it added.

Sir Andrew Green, the group's chairman, said: "It is not good enough to duck making an estimate of immigration from Romania and Bulgaria.

"It is likely to be on a scale that will have significant consequences for housing and public services.

"It will also add further to the competition which young British workers already face.

"We have therefore produced our own estimate as a contribution to an important debate which must include the ease with which migrants to the UK can currently access the welfare state".

However, the group admitted there was "no purely statistical basis" to produce estimates, adding it was a "matter of judgement, taking into account the factors".

A previous estimate from Tory MP Philip Hollobone that the number of Romanians and Bulgarians in Britain could jump from 155,000 to 425,000 within two years also "seems exaggerated", the group added.

The latest estimate comes as David Cameron prepares to give a major speech about Britain's future in Europe, which could pave the way for a referendum on EU membership.

The Prime Minister is coming under growing pressure from Tory backbenchers who want him to repatriate powers from the EU that would allow the UK to set its own immigration policies.

Mr Cameron has set up a ministerial Cabinet committee to examine the rules on migrants' access to benefits before the Romanians and Bulgarians are allowed to move to Britain for work when the temporary limits expire on December 31 this year.

Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, admitted migrants from the two countries arriving next year "will cause problems".

"Given that we've got a housing shortage, any influx from Romania and Bulgaria is going to cause problems," Mr Pickles told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme.

"It's going to cause problems not just in terms of the housing market but also on social housing market."

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has previously indicated she is keen to press for an end to the free movement of EU workers.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We are working to cut net migration from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament and our tough new rules are already taking effect with overall net migration falling by a quarter in the past year.

"In terms of European immigration, we are working closely with other government departments to look at the pull factors that may encourage EU nationals, including those from Bulgaria and Romania, to come to the UK.

"The government has made clear it will always apply transitional controls on new EU member states and will continue work to cut out abuse of free movement."