Long term immigration causes pressure on infrastructure

“

A leading independent think-tank has condemned the government’s failed immigration polices, suggesting that only those immigrants earning over £27,000 a year should be given permanent residence in the UK.

Following the Home Secretary’s recent suggestions for optimum limits on migrants, Migrationwatch UK has called on government to allow long term economic migration only to those who are “highly skilled”. Responding to obvious concerns about the UK’s productivity and skills gap, the group have suggested that lower-skilled migrants could be used to fill British jobs temporarily while UK workers become fully trained.

Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch and formerly with the Foreign Office as Director for the Middle East, said: “The Government and its supporters repeatedly trot out favourable looking statistics which seek to give the impression that immigration in general has a very positive effect on the UK economy”.

“The reality is that immigrants are extremely varied. A minority are highly skilled and highly paid but a large majority will end up as a cost to the taxpayer if they settle here permanently”, he continued.

Citing research produced by the government, Migrationwatch concur that for an employee to make a positive lifetime contribution to society, they must earn £27,000 a year, measured in either tax contributions or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Admittedly, this is the average salary for full time employment, a salary which only 20% of migrants can achieve.

According to a statement released yesterday, they note that migration is only beneficial over the long term if it raises overall productivity. Counter to this, migrants, they state, simply add to the pressure on infrastructure and public services.

“To most people the measures we are suggesting are simple common sense”, Sir Andrew added. “This research demonstrates once more that there is no economic case for massive immigration into the UK. The Home Secretary is right to say that we need to balance economic gain against social costs”.

“The social costs of the present massive levels of immigration, including their impact on infrastructure and public services, far outweigh any possible benefit”.

Vijay Pattni.

“