£2bn British aid to help Turkey join EU is waste of money and a security risk, says IDS

DAVID CAMERON is putting Britain’s national security at risk by paying nearly £2 billion to help Turkey, Serbia and Albania join the European Union, Iain Duncan Smith has claimed.

Vote Leave, the campaign group jointly led by Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, said that Britain will help fund £14 billion of “pre-accession assistance” over the next four years to countries hoping to join the EU.

Mr Duncan Smith, the former work and pensions secretary, said that Britain’s contribution is a “staggering waste of money” and will “make Britain less safe”.

It comes after Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said Britain should question the expansion of the Europe- an Union amid concerns about “crime, corruption and terrorism” in Albania, Serbia and Turkey.

Mr Duncan Smith said: “Letting them [Albania, Serbia and Turkey] into Europe’s open border policy will make it harder for us to stop criminals and terrorists from these countries coming to the UK.

“Despite these warnings, the UK Government has agreed to send them a staggering £2 billion of UK taxpayer’s money to help them join the EU as quickly as possible. This is a waste of our money and worse – it’s dangerous because it will make us less safe.

“In an uncertain world, it is not sensible to extend our border to Syria and Iraq. We should Vote Leave to take back control over who we let into the UK.”

Michael Gove has said that the enlargement of the EU could lead to a “free for all” and put more pressure on public services.

David Cameron has previously supported Turkey’s membership of the EU and wants to “pave the road from Ankara to Brussels”.

Downing Street has said that the UK has a veto over other countries joining and that Mr Cameron has made it clear there will need to be a different set of “transitional arrangements” in future.

‘In an uncertain world, it is not sensible to extend our border to Syria and Iraq’