From the outset, most countries insisted on restrictions on the right to work for up to seven years, but Greece, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Britain and Ireland all promised that the new EU citizens — mainly from Eastern European countries — would have the same rights as existing citizens from Day 1.

However, one by one the open-border countries, faced with either populist campaigns or protests from trade unions, have announced restrictions. They have two main concerns: that an influx of workers will reduce wages and push up unemployment, or that “benefit tourists” will come and live off the welfare state.

Different countries have responded in different ways, depending on what their concerns are: those with high unemployment have restricted the right to work, while those with generous welfare systems have restricted the right to benefits. In December, Denmark said it would protect its benefits system by requiring all Eastern Europeans to have a work permit, and then to leave the country if they lose their job. Last month, the Netherlands said it would impose work permits and limit them to 22,000, blaming higher unemployment for its change of heart.

Sweden, previously an open-border cheerleader, said last week that it would impose restrictions on the right to benefits, while still allowing Eastern Europeans the right to work. Göran Persson, the Prime Minister, said: “I expect enormous problems unless we protect ourselves. We would be naive if we didn’t see the risks. It is very easy to foresee a situation where very many will easily obtain work permits and then, once inside our country, have access to the entire social security safety net.”

He explained the U-turn by declaring: “It’s a different policy now. When we gave that assurance we stood side by side with Denmark, the Netherlands and others in Northern Europe. Now, by and large, there’s only Britain left,” he said.

But Britain’s tightening of the benefit rules yesterday is only a small restriction compared with other countries. With British unemployment the lowest for a generation, Eastern Europeans will still have the full right to live and work in any job in Britain, as they will do in Ireland, Denmark and Sweden. However, unlike Demark and Sweden, the Government will not try to control the influx by requiring work permits.

The retreat from earlier promises is entirely legal; under EU law, the countries of existing members can invoke an opt-out clause allowing them to impose “transitional arrangements” on the citizens of the new member states for up to seven years.

The closing of the doors is a huge disappointment for many Eastern European countries, for whom the freedom to work in the West was one of the main benefits of joining the EU.

Eastern European diplomats are complaining openly of being treated as second-class citizens.

But unlike other European countries, Britain has managed to retain the moral high ground, insisting that its new tighter benefit rules apply to all EU citizens, from East and West, meaning that it doesn’t have to invoke the opt-out clause to impose special restrictions on the new EU citizens.

It is calming fears of “benefit tourism”, while being able to ensure the Eastern Europeans it is treating them no differently from anyone else.

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