Migration Watch UK: News

Ten Migration Watch achievements

Migration Watch has produced a list of ten key points which it has contributed to the debate on immigration. Many were initially denied but have subsequently been proved correct.

The first point is:

1   The scale of immigration

Migration Watch has been consistently right in pointing to the likely future scale of immigration. In 2002 we predicted that net non EU immigration would amount to two million in the following decade. This included an allowance for illegal immigrants, but it is now clear from the official figures that immigration will, indeed, total two million in the period even without including any illegals. The recent census confirms the scale of immigration.

To see the other points please go to Briefing Paper No 13.2 on our web site.

House of Commons debate on No to 70 Million Petition

Last year Migration Watch UK, launched a petition on the government e-Petition website calling on the government to take all necessary steps to get immigration down to a level that will stabilise our population as close to the current level as possible and, certainly, well below 70 million - the figure that the UK is now projected to reach within fifteen years if net migration continues to run at the present rate.

The petition - which can still be signed here - was enormously successful and achieved 100,000 signatures in just seven days. This month the Backbench Business Committee has announced that this will be debated on the floor of the House on 6 September 2012. Our side will be led by Frank Field MP (Labour) and Nicholas Soames MP (Conservative).

Immigration has been a major concern for the British public for many years and MPs often say that immigration was the issue raised most consistently when they were canvassing on your doorsteps. We are therefore pleased that Parliament has now allocated time to debate an issue that is of such importance to our society.

We would like to see as many MPs as possible attend the debate, from both sides of the House. If you feel that your MP should attend this debate to represent your interests and concerns then we encourage you to write to him or her. You can find a list of all MPs and their contact details here.

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TWO THIRDS OF BIRTHS IN LONDON ARE TO A FOREIGN BORN PARENT

Today it was revealed, in response to a parliamentary question from the Rt. Hon. Nicholas Soames MP, Co-Chairman of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration, that in 2010 two thirds of all births in London are to parents where one or both are foreign born. This rises to 84% in Newham and 81% in Westminster.  The figure is below 50% in only six of the 32 London boroughs. Commenting, Sir Andrew Green said:

"These extraordinary figures illustrate the huge and rapid change that is taking place in our capital city. They illustrate the way in which London is being changed beyond recognition and on a scale and at a speed that makes successful integration so much more difficult. It is a stark reminder to the government to stick to their promise to get net migration down to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament.

 

‘If the Tories are serious about immigration it will be in the manifesto’

Commentary

By Sir Andrew Green
Chairman of Migration Watch UK

The Times, London, 11 January, 2010

It was good to see an Archbishop give the political system a hefty kick last week. Lord Carey’s courageous intervention in support of the cross-party group called Balanced Migration certainly caught the attention of the public and gave a huge boost to their campaign to get immigration down close to the level of emigration.

He has moved the debate forwards. Instead of the usual accusations of racism there is now a more reasoned acceptance by the political class that current rates of immigration into Britain are unsustainable.

They are stressing our public services and straining our social cohesion. Now we have David Cameron saying that he does not support the idea of a 70 million population. He wants to see immigration kept within the tens of thousands. This is a significant development. He does not make stray remarks on this subject.

Indeed, he has hardly mentioned it since a major speech on population two years ago.

Nobody, least of all Mr Cameron, challenges the reality that immigrants have made a major contribution to our society. It is the recent scale of immigration that is the problem.

The latest population projections from the Office for National Statistics show that the UK’s population will reach 70 million in 20 years’ time and that just over two thirds of this increase will be because of immigration.

The Government claims that it will never happen but ONS forecasts are much better than the Met Office. Over the past 50 years their 20-year projections have been accurate to 2.5 per cent. Ministers also claim that immigration is coming down, partly due to their Points Based System. But the fall is almost entirely due to more East Europeans going home while three quarters of the PBS are student applications, which are riddled with fraud. The only means open to the Government to limit population is to limit immigration. If the Tory leader is serious he will put it into his party's election manifesto – and it will be hugely popular.

"Profile of Migration Watch"

"Alongside the TaxPayers' Alliance, MigrationWatch is one of Britain's most effective campaigning organisations.

"Its Chairman, Sir Andrew Green, has become Britain's most quoted authority on immigration questions."

See the full article

UK's population on track for 70 million

Government’s own, new survey shows 79% of people want immigration cut

Commenting on the release today by the Office of National Statistics of data on migration, the Co-Chairmen of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration, Frank Field MP and Nicholas Soames MP, said: "The fall in net migration may well be temporary – as in previous recessions – but even at the present level of immigration, we are still on target for the UK’s population to exceed 70 million within 25 years. There are no laurels to rest on. The need for firm measures on immigration is unchanged. The public clearly understand this. The Government’s own survey, released today, shows 79 per cent of people want immigration reduced.

Public want a massive cut in immigration. Nearly 80 per cent concerned about the issue.

A 7 out of 10 adults want immigration cut by over 80%. Just 1 in 20 adults support the current level.

The YouGov poll, which was commissioned by Migrationwatch for the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration, found that 79 per cent of people were “concerned” or “very concerned” about the issue of immigration.

Net foreign immigration – the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants – has run at about 300,000 a year for the last five years.

See the full Press Release for the YouGov poll.

Population out of control: Why present policies cannot keep our population even to 70 million

Summary

The government have assured the public that the population of the UK will not be allowed to reach 70 million and that their new Points Based System (PBS) will ensure that this is achieved. Unfortunately, this cannot possibly be so........

Conclusion

……Last year the PBS would have only stopped 11,500 migrants out of 237,000 arriving in the UK.

. It is quite clear that the PBS in its present form will not, of itself, be remotely enough to keep the population of the UK below 70 million. This is not surprising since it does not place overall limits on immigration, and was never intended to do so. It remains to be seen whether the Government will take serious measures, including a much tougher version of the points based system, to limit the impact of immigration on our population. There is no evidence of this so far.

Read the full text of this Briefing Paper 9.21 on population projections which was prepared by Migrationwatch at the request of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration.

Cross Party Group Aim for 'Balanced Migration'

The first cross party group of parliamentarians to address how immigration into the UK can be brought back under control has been formed at Westminster.

Headed by two distinguished former ministers, Frank Field, Labour, and Nicholas Soames, Conservative, it is the first time in British political history that parliamentarians from the two main parties have come together to stimulate public debate on the issue and put forward practical solutions.

Under the ‘Balanced Migration’ banner they seek to persuade the Government that, over time, immigration should be brought substantially lower until it is close to the rate of emigration. This would stabilise the UK’s population and greatly reduce the pressures on public services and society.

Their approach, which has widespread public support, aims to ensure that as a nation we strike the right balance between creating a competitive economy with a flexible workforce, and relieving the burdens that uncontrolled immigration is placing upon our society.

Full details can be seen at Balanced Migration.

The Business Visitor Scheme under the Points Based System

Migrationwatch called yesterday for much tougher rules on business visitors. The new rules are far too lax and, in particular, permit unlimited secondment of foreign employees to Britain

Commenting, the Chairman, Sir Andrew Green, said "The Government scrabbled to produce these rules only days before the system goes live. Far from being "tough" the rules for business visitors drive a coach and horses through the entire work permit system. Now any foreign company with a contract with a British company can send as many seconded staff as they wish for periods of six months each. This could easily be used to replace more expensive British workers as the recession bites. The Government must think again and take urgent measures to put proper controls in place."