UK NEWS

BRITAIN HAS LET IN 800,000 IMMIGRANTS

800,000 immigrants are working in the UK

Tuesday February 26,2008

By Nicola McCafferty for express.co.uk

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(20)

NEARLY 800,000 Eastern European immigrants have been given permits to work in Britain in the last four years, it was revealed today.

Yet the Government said only 13,000 immigrants from the A8 countries - which includes Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia - would seek entry each year.

They underestimated by 1, 540 per cent.

These statistics do not even include the self-employed or those from Romania and Bulgaria, who joined the EU later.

It is thought that more than 30,570 Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants have also been granted applications to work in the UK, after they joined the EU at the start of the year.

We will continue to monitor restrictions

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne

Yet today the Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced: "We will continue to monitor restrictions."

The new figures from the Home Office showed that since Poland and seven other ex-Soviet countries joined the European Union four years ago, 766,000 of 796,000 immigrants have been allowed to work in Britain.

Separate figures also showed the number of failed asylum seekers and dependants removed from Britain last year fell 26 per cent compared with the previous 12 months, to 13,595.

Just over 89,000 immigrants from these A8 countries are claiming child benefit, and there have been 4,900 successful applications for income support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or state pension.

A further 51,500 are claiming tax credits, and 1,021 are receiving help for homelessness.

Around 7,295 were allowed to work here under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme.

The asylum figures revealed the total number of applications in 2007 was down 1 per cent year on year to 23,430, or 27,905 including dependants.

October to December last year saw 6,910 applications, a 19 per cent rise compared with the same period in 2006.

The Home Office said annual asylum applications were at their lowest for 14 years.

Overall, the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) removed 63,140 people from the UK in the year, including foreign criminals and other immigration offenders as well as failed asylum seekers.

Commenting on today's staggering immigration figures, Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, said:

"This blows out of the water Labour's proclamation that no more than 13,000 people a year would come to the UK from accession countries.

"This staggering complacency means they were totally unprepared and our housing and public service infrastructure have come under severe pressure as a result with local authorities and council tax payers having to shoulder the burden."

CHARLIE TREE

29.02.08, 8:33pm

"Ok then, if the Poles are finally leaving these shores, can we British taxpayers expect the fleeing Poles to pay back the millions of pounds paid out to them in Tax Credits for their children still living in Poland?"

--wrong question. you should ask..

are those poles going ask for all the contributions to taxes, pensions, and the nhs that they have been paying over the last four years?

the answer is no. we get it. well, more correctly, our elderly get it now. they will never collect because they have left before they were old enough to start collecting.

i think you'll find that they'ver paid in dozens more times than they have ever taken out.

and in the mean time, you've enjoyed lower mortgage payments because they (and other immigrants) have been keeping interest rates down.

you really shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you. you'll miss it when it's gone.

• Posted by: nofreespeechhere • Report Comment

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27.02.08, 9:43am

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• Posted by: beowulf • Report Comment

GIMNASUIA

27.02.08, 1:30am

Don't listen to neinfreisprechenhier (good analogy, he's something of a Nazi.) He lives in cloud cuckoo land.

Ok then, if the Poles are finally leaving these shores, can we British taxpayers expect the fleeing Poles to pay back the millions of pounds paid out to them in Tax Credits for their children still living in Poland?

• Posted by: CharlesTree • Report Comment

OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT SURVEY ON IMMIGRATION

27.02.08, 12:21am

There is a 12 week Government consultation period on new immigration and citizenship rules. This is the only chance you will get to OFFICALLY have your say.
Go to the Home Office website and register your opinion if it matters you before May 12:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/contract-for-citizenship
email: ImmigrationReform@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

• Posted by: DanVox • Report Comment

MAKE IMMIGRATION TEMPORARY

27.02.08, 12:16am

Fact is, lazy employers find that immigration is a cheap and easy of getting profits, and no matter who gets hurt. Why not say that immigrants must speak English, and can only stay on a work permit for a limited time, say 3 years. During that time the employer must train-up a British citizen because at the end of 3 years the temporary help goes.

• Posted by: DanVox • Report Comment

WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT LET SO MANY IN?

26.02.08, 10:17pm

Well I imagine there are a number of reasons and mostly short sited economic ones.
Firstly this government has its collective head firmly inserted up europes colon. Basically selling us out for a good but temporary economy.
Secondly if you put aside the parasitic migrants the rest will work twice as hard for half the wages as many of our so called working class. That information comes from my brother who has many of them under him (albanians and poles that is).
The working classes are to blame for this. The world wars taught us to be grateful for what we had and for a society to function and survive we need to work hard and support each other. Now, its everyman for himself and we have unions holding the public to ransom to try and squeeze a bit more money out of their employers or the tax payer. For god sake, yes there are people in this country who deserve a bit more money but thats life. Be thankful for what you've got, it could be a hell of a lot worse! Why do you think all these people are flocking here? Because they really are destitute.
Ultimately our problems stem from the feeble Nanny state that this country has become.
Bring back conscription! The army would knock these lazy little yobs into shape and teach them common decency. Maybe then we'd actually have a reasonable sized army again as well!

And for god sake lets get this corrupt, genocidal government out at the first available chance!

• Posted by: SJ_Oxley • Report Comment