LEADING MP Keith Vaz has called for all the party leaders to work together to avoid creating an “arms race” in tougher immigration policies.
The chairman of the Commons home affairs committee wrote in the Sunday Express that "fringe parties" shouldn’t use the fears about new arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania next year to their advantage.
"Rather as they did for the Royal Charter agreement after Leveson, Messrs Cameron, Clegg and Miliband should now sit down together and talk about this issue," the Labour MP said.
"By doing this they will deny fringe parties the opportunity to fill the vacuum and demonstrate to the British people they want to engage purposefully and productively in addressing one of the most challenging issues that our nation faces.
"Research needs to be commissioned immediately, and we need to start a dialogue with the Romanian and Bulgarian governments.
"We still do not know how many times Mrs May has visited Bucharest or Sofia to discuss the problem: she refuses to answers Parliamentary questions about it."
Prime Minister David Cameron has said that immigrant families will be kept off council house waiting lists for at least two years.
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has called for cash deposits of more than £1,000 for some migrants.
