A Suffolk MP has said there is still time to increase pressure on the Government before it is “too late” to act on immigrants coming from Bulgaria and Romania.

David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds, has helped to secure a debate in Westminster Hall tomorrow after dozens of MPs signed an amendment to the Government’s Immigration Bill.

“Up until January 1, the UK has the right to restrict immigration by Bulgarian and Romanian workers,” Mr Ruffley said.

“After January, under the existing treaty, we must lift that restriction because of EU ‘freedom of movement’ rules. I am one of a growing list of MPs that have signed an amendment to the Immigration Bill currently going through the House of Commons that would keep these restrictions for another five years.

“In 2004 the last Government lifted the same restrictions on Polish workers and workers from seven other Eastern European countries. At the time Labour ministers estimated that 13,000 workers from eastern European countries would come to the UK each year when those restrictions were lifted. In fact, around 100,000 per year arrived in one of the largest waves of immigration our country has ever seen.”

He said tomorrow’s debate is the last chance for the Commons to speak on lifting of transitional controls on Bulgarian and Romanian workers.

The Tory MP for Clacton, Douglas Carswell, has also signed the amendment.