The latest immigration figures....

[VectraMan]

I must admit, I am surprised there are more non-EU immigrants than EU immigrants.

It used to be twice as many, which made the focus on leaving the EU to stop immigration look even more silly.

However, putting a quota on non-EU immigration would run rough shod over all sorts of long standing international agreements. It would also require a swathe of immigration law/policy to be changed. Would we be comfortable for example in denying entry to children of UK passport holders living overseas? Or what about British born people overseas who relinquished their UK citizenship and decide to move home? What about highly skilled migrants? What about people who previously had right of abode in the UK, left, and now want to return? Pandora's box of consequences me thinks.

Indeed. And that's what never gets reported; most have some kind of genuine reason. And you have to assume that even if we did leave the EU, we'd still let in a significant number of EU citizens under the same rules as non-EU citizens.

[sirja]

I think you'll find that the current rules already keep out pretty much every non-EU unskilled person who doesn't have any links to the UK.

For example, if you are an Australian without any links to the UK and want to move to the UK long term, in most cases you will need to have at least a masters degree and collect enough points to get a Tier 1 visa, ie, be highly skilled.

I would really like to see a break down of the Non EU migration figures. How can there be so many Non EU migrants when their routes of entry have been seriously curtailed. The only thing I can think of is a lot of UK citizens are marrying non EU spouses

[vetran]

Not all EU immigrants come to wash windows with squeezy bottles

EU migrants 'good for UK economy' - Home News - UK - The Independent

Poles, Czech and others who moved here after the EU expanded in 2004 have paid far more in taxes than they received in benefits, academics at University College London found.

Tax > Benefits is not the whole story. Housing,Schools, NHS etc need to be explored.

Prof Dustmann found immigrants were, on average, younger and better educated than the native population, but also prepared to work for much lower wages – on average a third less – and 60 per cent less likely to claim benefits.

so suppressing wages by importing cheap labour is a good thing

[VectraMan]

Tax > Benefits is not the whole story. Housing,Schools, NHS etc need to be explored.

Housing yes, but what pays for the schools and NHS?

[original PM]

and who pays the extra to have everything translated into 222 different languages?

hmmm??

[BlasterBates]

Tax > Benefits is not the whole story. Housing,Schools, NHS etc need to be explored.




so suppressing wages by importing cheap labour is a good thing

Are you sure about that?

Britain hit by worst skills shortage for 30 years | Daily Mail Online

Is plumber's earning 100 grand a year evidence of wages being supressed?

When I compare international salaries, the UK looks pretty good.

[tractor]

....

Are you sure about that?

Britain hit by worst skills shortage for 30 years | Daily Mail Online

Is plumber's earning 100 grand a year evidence of wages being supressed?

When I compare international salaries, the UK looks pretty good.

In another Daily Wail story, I seem to remember they were exposing Polish plumbers who left Poland as labourers and arrived here a week later as fully qualified heating engineers. Go figure.

[vetran]

Are you sure about that?

Britain hit by worst skills shortage for 30 years | Daily Mail Online

Is plumber's earning 100 grand a year evidence of wages being supressed?

When I compare international salaries, the UK looks pretty good.

when a CEO's Grandson working for Grampy's company makes up to £2k per week you mean?

[darmstadt]

don't confuse him with facts!

Indeed: http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...ml#post2096776

[stek]

I think you'll find that the current rules already keep out pretty much every non-EU unskilled person who doesn't have any links to the UK.

For example, if you are an Australian without any links to the UK and want to move to the UK long term, in most cases you will need to have at least a masters degree and collect enough points to get a Tier 1 visa, ie, be highly skilled.

Tier 1 (formerly HSMP) has been closed for ages.