UK NEWS
WE MUST CAP IMMIGRATION
An inquiry said there was no economic benefit from migration
By Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Correspondent
LABOUR must cap immigration after its myths on the benefits of an open door policy were torn to shreds by a powerful group of peers yesterday.
In a devastating attack, a House of Lords inquiry said there was no economic benefit from migration.
The point-by-point onslaught also laid bare the arguments which ministers have used for allowing record numbers to come here.
The report called on the Government to now impose a limit on numbers after concluding that migrants themselves were the “biggest winners” of current policy.
One peer, an economist, warned that Britain will face pressure from migrants wanting to come here for the next 50 years at least.
The report also dismissed claims that migrants are needed to fill jobs and support the growing demand for pensions. It further warned that the in-flow could be forcing up unemployment among young Britons and pushing down wages. Campaigners who have long called for an annual limit on migration said the report was a “watershed” and Labour’s defence for its stance has been demolished.
In a crushing conclusion, inquiry chairman Lord Wakeham said: “The argument put forward by the Government that large-scale net immigration brings significant economic benefits is unconvincing. We have found no evidence to support their position.”
The report, from the Lords cross-party Economic Affairs Committee, said net immigration, which has added 1.5 million extra people in the past decade, has been “unprecedented in our history”.
Migrants now account for 12 per cent – or one in eight – of the total workforce.
The Government has continually defended its policy by arguing that mass migration brings economic benefits which outweigh any social impact.
The destruction of that defence not only leaves Labour’s policies in tatters, but means the negative pressure they have had on communities is all the greater.
More alarming, Lord Layard, a leading economist and committee member, warned: “We will have permanent pressure of people to move in our direction. Britain has an extra resource, which is the English language, for attracting people here.
“There is no doubt whatever that the pressure will remain for half a century or more.” As a result, the peers said ministers should impose an “explicit target range” for immigration and set the rules to keep within that limit.
It would effectively mean a cap on those wanting to come from outside the EU. Net migration is running at 190,000 a year after a peak of 300,000 in 2006.
Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: “This report is a welcome contribution to our huge immigration shake-up, and we are already acting on practically every single recommendation.
“It proves we were right to set up the independent Migration Advisory Committee to tell us which workers our new Australian-style points system should keep out or let in.
“We’re glad to see the committee welcome the system as well as our ban on low-skilled migration from outside Europe.
“What’s more, our plan for earned citizenship will mean that only those who can speak English, pay taxes and obey Parliament’s law will be able to earn the right to stay. This is something the committee recommended.
“Our points system will be enforced by a new Border Agency to give the UK world-leading border protection and bring back systems to count foreign nationals in and out of Britain.”
Video 
TALK IS CHEAP
02.04.08, 8:25am
You all know the main three parties are now Liberal/left so the only way to get your country back is by voting BNP. Hold off for much longer and you will be an immigrant in your own country!
• Posted by: Fable • Report Comment
THE ONE THING IS....
01.04.08, 10:25pm
British people want to live next to Brirish people or people living the British way....... they dont want to be surrounded by aggressive East africans, eastern europens, Afghans, Iraquis etc etc etc ...... yet it is happening now#
THE WORST IS YET TO COME
• Posted by: torres • Report Comment
WRONG PLANET
01.04.08, 8:21pm
A friend of mine told me he had bee talking to our local MP and he had the feeling the MP was on the wrong planet and out of touch with the people of our city.
Now think what it must be like in Westminster they must be all on another planet or something else!!!
• Posted by: Flyer • Report Comment
IMMIGRATION AND NEW LABOUR.
01.04.08, 8:11pm
Roll on the next General Election whereby we can vote Brown and New Labour into Oblivion !
• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment
IMMIGRATION AND GOVERNMENT JUST DO NOT ADD UP
01.04.08, 7:03pm
I just wonder at times whether our wonderful government can actually add up at all and whether they should take a lesson out of their own book to achieve future greatness - education! education ! education ! Indeed, basic arithmetic is not hard to grasp so it should be simple for our politicians to undertake, but unfortunately when it comes to immigration even cabinet ministers cannot add up the cost of a policy of unlimited access and whether the country has net benefits or not. In this respect also it appears that cabinet ministers and even prime ministers do not understand what common sense dictates, but where in comparison to this the vast number of the British people have been concerned about the ever-increasing immigration problem for nearly 10-years now. In this respect our politicians never did and still do not comprehend the problems caused by the increased demand on our health services, social services, housing, social benefits, loss of jobs by British workers due to immigration and the influx in absolute numbers of millions of new people who have flooded onto our shores in recent years. If they did they would though common sense again understand that our country can only be a net loss maker. Indeed, common sense has told the British people over the last few years that immigration is predominantly a negative factor within our economy and where the costs of the immigration burden far outweigh the benefits, most probably by a factor of three at least if the politicians did their sums correctly. But unfortunately again what we have got in this country presently is a government that simple cannot add up and where normal common sense is something that these politicians certainly do not possess.
Therefore the sooner that our political masters get a grasp of both, the sooner the people of this dear nation will get a government that does something right for a change. Or am I asking the impossible I would ask with this present administration ?
Dr David Hill
World Innovation Foundation Charity
Bern, Switzerland
• Posted by: davidhill • Report Comment
THEY STILL AIN'T LISTENING............
01.04.08, 5:28pm
I watched the interview on Sky News at lunchtime. Kieth Vaz was - predictably - denying the Lord's Report covering the negative impact of immigartion economically. No worries. everything is fine, not too many immigrants, great to have them, contribute so much... The usual sad mantra of a man with his head in the sand. A few minutes later his boss, the unelected PM of our land, was spewing the same denials on all channels. Well, here's a few facts they won't get asked about at the BBC, let alone answer when quizzed (I know, i've tried!)
Leicester is soon to become the first city in Europe to see its White citizens reduced to a minority - in their own city. How many more towns/cities have to be - dare I say - overwhelmed - in such a manner? Where next? Bradford? Leeds? Burnley? Birmingham? Slough? Milton Keymes? All are facing massive influxes of unskilled, unemployed (and unwanted) immigrants. Consider the usual NuLabour chants about how many of these immigrants are of 'use' or 'high value' skills.
To listen to Nulabour, one might imagine we have been blessed with a sudden influx of highly skilled, multi-lingual, talented and desirable people. The reality is far different. The figures for 2005 show 400,915 arrived. Few with skills we need. For 2006 government figures show that of the (known) 591,000 immigrants NuLabour allowed to pour in, only 20,330 actually had genuine verifiable skills at graduate level or classed as highly skilled. The rest - 570,667 - had little or nothing by way of skills. (And by skills, i'm not talking about the thousands of Poles et al who have rolled into Slough claiming to be 'Plumbers'....yeah...right)
Clearly, we as a nation cannot continue to absorb such a vast annual influx of unskilled people - regardless of ethnicity. The strain on local housing, schools, medical treatment - even on maternity units for God's sake - is well attested by those at the sharp end. It is well attested by those who have to live in these areas. It is well known to everyone but NuLabour.
If I run a nightclub, the law sets certain entry numbers for obvious, safety, reasons. Same with concerts, football grounds. However, with our country, it seems there is no upper limit on capicity. All will meld into NuLabour's vision of an enforced multicultural garden of Eden. The reality is we are reaching terminal overcrowding. And still our voices are ignored.
History demonstrates agaiin and again that unrestricted immigration causes stress, unrest, civil disruption, followed by civil unrest & violence followed by outright massive scale violent confrontations on the streets. In short, anarchy will prevail. Our country is going into meltdown. When the spring that holds the fabric of our country together finally snaps, and it will, the results will make Kosovo look like a tea party.
If the State will not listen to us and help us regain controil of our own beloved country, then we shall have no option but to reclaim it. By any means and at any cost. Like the Great Man said back in WW": We shall not be defeated in our Islands' home".
We do not need a cap on immigration. WE NEED A COMPLETE HALT.
• Posted by: Gofan • Report Comment
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