Migrants will not get welfare for first five years in US, says Trump

WASHINGTON:Days after announcing his support to a merit-based immigration system, President Donald Trump has said that migrants will not get welfare in the first five years after they arrive in the US.

“You cannot get welfare for five years when you come into our country. You can’t just come in, like in past weeks, years and decades--you come in, immediately start picking up welfare,” Trump said in his weekly web and radio address to the nation.

“For five years, you have to say you will not be asking or using our welfare systems. As I said in my address to Congress, the time for dreaming big, bold and daring things for our country has begun,” he said.

Trump said earlier this week that he announced a historic immigration bill to create a merit-based green card system that ends the abuse of welfare system, stops chain migration and protects American workers and economy.

For too long, he rued, the dreams of many Americans have been put out of reach.

“Washington funded one global project after another, while allowing other countries to drain our jobs and drain the wealth of the United States of America. Then, Washington taxed and regulated our own workers and industries, taking away their ability to earn a living,” he said.

But those days are over, Trump said. ISLAMABAD:The chances of Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif becoming prime minister seemed to have dimmed over the past few days, with ousted premier Nawaz Sharif reportedly unhappy with his younger brother.

Initial reports had pointed towards Shahid Khaqan Abbasi — who was sworn in as prime minister earlier this week — serving as an interim premier for around 45 days, till Shehbaz could contest Nawaz’s vacated national assembly seat.

However, political analysts say Shehbaz’s decision to nominate his son Hamza Shehbaz as the next chief minister of Punjab may have turned his brother against him — Nawaz was reportedly looking at his daughter Maryam Nawaz or his wife Kulsoom Nawaz to head Punjab.

A report in the influential daily Dawn suggested that a number of PML-N leaders in Punjab believe Nawaz “smartly deprived” his younger brother of an opportunity to become prime minister and at the same time, shattered the dreams of nephew Hamza to take up the reins in Punjab.

Some analysts say Nawaz Sharif is playing family politics, but others insist that it was a purely political decision taken in the interests of the party. Shehbaz is the strongest candidate the party has in Punjab and there are many within the party old guard who have urged Nawaz Sharif to not weaken the PML-N power base.

Foreign minister Khawaja Asif and defence minister Khurram Dastgir Khan confirmed that the party wants Shehbaz in Punjab. “Since Shehbaz has good equation with all MPAs in Punjab and all ongoing development projects are on his finger tips, a larger section of the party is of the view that he should continue delivering in Punjab,” Khurram Dastgir told a private TV channel.

However, PML-N is yet to make an announcement about Shehbaz withdrawing from the race for the national assembly seat.

The bigger question, of course, is whether this decision has been taken in the interests of the party or in the interests of Nawaz Sharif. So far, differences between the two brothers have not surfaced but some party leaders have warned that if not done amicably, this decision could cost the party its next election