European panel: Joachim Korte-Bernard

MEET THE PANEL Name: Joachim Korte-Bernard Age: 48 Lives: Wolfenbuettel, Germany Works: Educational material developer

For me, the free movement of citizens from all countries within the EU seems impossible as long as the standards of living differ so much between countries.

With the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU, many in Germany genuinely fear a huge influx of workers from both countries.

With record unemployment in Europe's biggest economy, migrants and asylum seekers are not very welcome here.

If they do not have the chance of obtaining legal residence and work in Germany, they will come by illegal means.

If unlimited migration is allowed, we could see hundreds of thousands coming to look for work in Germany. The UK has already accommodated more than half a million workers from Poland and Eastern Europe.

Significant migration numbers could increase tension and xenophobic behaviour and will increase support for the right-wing parties.

EUROPEAN PANEL Viktorija Spurina Peter Langh Gerry Harris Marcel De Vries Tom O' Sullivan Joachim Korte-Bernard

The best solution seems to be to allow some sort of controlled migration over a period of a few years.

On a positive note, freedom of movement has improved life in Europe.

Germans nowadays consider the option of working abroad more than they did previously. Germany overall today is more open-minded than it was 10 or 20 years ago.

Many people cannot measure the economic benefit of European integration for Germany, but at least they enjoy the ease of travelling abroad.

Right now, Germans accept the EU. They even accept being the European paymaster.

But a big increase in the migration of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens will change people's attitudes towards European integration.

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