EXCLUSIVE: British taxpayers spend millions on foreign births

BRITISH taxpayers have paid millions of pounds for thousands of immigrants to give birth in their native countries.

Baby's feetGETTY

EU laws mean migrants are entitled to free health care anywhere in European Union

Figures obtained by the Sunday Express show that in the past three years the NHS has paid for 3,689 cases where foreigners had medical treatment back home.

Three-quarters of these were maternity care for expectant mothers, which in the UK costs the health service £1,600 for every birth.

EU law means that as soon as immigrants become resident here they are entitled to free health care anywhere within the European Union.

Crucially, however, it’s the country of their residence rather than their nationality that has to meet the eventual bill.

Polish migrants are responsible for most cases with 1,285 claims, 75 per cent of which were for mothers-to-be.

Since 2011 around 1,000 women have returned to Poland to give birth before coming back to live in Britain.

This is three times the number in 2005. Over the same three-year period there were also 151 claims from the Czech Republic and 244 from Slovakia.

An NHS insider said: “It is really a social thing, as even if their native health system is not as good as ours, it may be they prefer the familiar surroundings of home and the support of nearby family and friends.

I can see no circumstances under which this practice would be acceptable to the British taxpayer

Louise Bours

“As they have been living in the UK they have lost entitlement to free care in their homeland.

“In the same way, somebody from the UK who has been living and working in France might come to the UK for health care and the bill for their treatment should find its way back to France.”

Ukip’s health spokeswoman, Louise Bours, called the situation “utterly bizarre”.

She said: “I can see no circumstances under which this practice would be acceptable to the British taxpayer.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “All UK residents are entitled to free health care on the NHS and under EU rules may also be able to get treated in other EU countries.

“This can actually cost British taxpayers less.

"For example Poland’s health care costs are less than half the UK’s.” 

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