It remains unclear how much leeway member states have to restrict EU migrants’ access to benefits

The issue of ‘benefit tourism’ has become a hot topic in several EU states, with a number of countries calling for tighter restrictions on the access of EU citizens to certain social benefits. Michael Blauberger and Susanne K. Schmidt write on reforms pursued in Austria, Germany and the UK. They note that while the legal basis for restricting access to benefits remains contested in many cases, the European Court of Justice has appeared to acknowledge political sensitivities around the issue in its recent case law.