José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European
Commission, will make a speech to the London School of Economics. Photograph:
Olivier Hoslet/EPA
José
Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, will on Friday
acknowledge that the free movement of people across the EU has put "unintended
strains" on public services and is open to abuse.
In
a move to show that Brussels understands the concerns raised in Britain, Barroso
will say in London that the commission has recently clarified anti-abuse rules
to crack down on sham marriages which allow non-EU citizens to claim benefits as
a family member.