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Surprise, surprise - Immigration is BAD for Britain!

British report calls
for curbs on immigration

Immigration is not a benefit to the economy
and should be cut, say peers

Immigration should be capped, according to
a parliamentary report published today which concludes

that record numbers of new immigrants have had “little or
no impact” on economic well being.

Some groups, including the low-paid, young people seeking
jobs and some ethnic minorities, may have suffered because
of competition for work from immigrants willing to accept
low wages and poor working conditions.

Yesterday's report, from the Lords Economic Affairs Committee,
whose members include two former Conservative chancellors
of the exchequer, seeks to undermine the government’s
claim that record levels of immigration have boosted the
economy.

It also sets out to demolish a range of arguments in favor
of immigration, including the one that foreigners are needed
to prevent labor shortages and also to help to support an
increasingly ageing population.

The report endorses the Conservative policy of capping
immigration by urging ministers to set an “explicit target
range” for numbers entering the country. Controversially, it
also raises the prospect of cutting the number of partners
and other family members allowed to settle in Britain
because a relative is already here.

Rejects claims of economic benefits

And it suggests that, if the predicted 190,000-a-year net
migration rate continues, house prices would be 10 percent
higher in 2028 than they would have been if there was zero
net immigration.

Lord Wakeham, the former Conservative cabinet minister
who chaired the Lords inquiry, said: “The argument put
forward by the government that large-scale net immigration
brings significant economic benefits for the UK is unconvincing.
We have found no evidence to support their position.”

The government has said that immigrants are boosting the
overall economy by £6 billion [$12 billion] a year, but the
committee said that this was a misleading measure and a
better one would be the impact on income per head of the
resident population.

“On this measure, immigration has had a largely neutral effect

on economic wellbeing, with the income of some groups of

low-paid workers actually falling,” it said.

It added that the available evidence suggested immigration
had had a small negative impact on the lowest-paid workers
and a small positive impact on the earnings of hgher-paid
workers.

Facing immigration pressure 'for half century or more'

“Resident workers whose wages have been adversely affected

by immigrations are likely to include a significant proportion

of previous immigrants and workers from ethnic minority groups,”

the report added.

Lord Layard, an economist and Labor member of the committee,

gave warning that Britain would face significant pressure from

immigration for years.

“We will have a permanent pressure of people to move in our

direction. Britain has an extra resource, the English language,

for attracting people here. There is no doubt whatever that

the pressure will remain for half a century or more,” he said.

The findings of the 82-page report were seized on by the
Conservatives and Migrationwatch, the organization that
campaigns against mass immigration.

David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: “This cross-

party committee of distinguished peers has demolished the

government’s case on several fronts. They show unequivocally
that the benefits of the current immigration policy to ordinary
UK citizens are largely non-existent.”

Calls report a watershed

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch, said that the
report was a watershed. “A heavyweight committee of

Parliament has torn to shreds the Government’s economic case

for the massive levels of immigration which they have actively

encouraged.

“Having lost their smokescreen of dodgy economic arguments,
they now have no alternative but to implement a sharp
reduction in numbers. The public will accept nothing less.”

Liam Byrne, the Immigration Minister, welcomed the report
and insisted it proved that the government was right to ask
the independent Migration Advisory Committee to tell ministers
which workers the new Australian-style points system should
keep out or let in.

He added: “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.”

The Lords committee comprised five Labor and five Conservative
peers, including Lord Lamont of Lerwick and Lord Lawson of Blaby,
both former Tory chancellors, two Liberal Democrats and four
crossbenchers.