The economic case for immigration
The economic case for immigration
The recent debates around immigration, which have resulted in a bidding war for who can be harder on the issue, has led to the facts about its benefits being obfuscated by both the media and mainstream parties. Whether they intend it or not, this has led to immigration being scapegoated for the economic crisis, providing a distraction from the fundamental causes of the crisis, when in fact immigration provides economic benefits.
OSMC has collated some of the articles which outline the economic case for immigration, as we are concerned that a negative debate on this issue in which mainstream parties and media pander to hysteria and myth-making, can eventually embolden the far right who will seek to exploit this climate for its own benefit.
May 2013 : Queens Speech proposals are costly, will cause ill-health for all and are self-defeating
Following the election of UKIP councillors in the May 2013 council elections, the Conservatives are seeking to pander to this base of voters with increasingly draconian measures on migrants. Proposals include migrants’ access to the NHS, increasing fines against businesses using illegal labour, requiring private landlords to check tenants’ status, and preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining driving licenses
Rosa Crawford writes for the Touchstone Blog outlining why these proposals are flawed, would increase ill health and administrative costs to the general population at a time when the Business for New Europe report shows that migrants contribute more in taxes and take less in benefits than the domestic population
Debunking David Cameron’s recent speech on migration
David Cameron’s recent speech in March came under intense scrutiny with the Guardian reporting that of the two million net migrants to the UK from the eight eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004, just 13,000 people have claimed jobseeker’s allowance (JSA). This figure was not disputed by No 10.
Cameron’s 2010 election campaign speech writer Ian Birrell criticises all three major parties for engaging in a damaging, ‘evidence free, rancid’ debate on immigration, in which they are falling over themselves to be seen as tougher than UKIP on immigration.
The inconvenient truth about migration
by Barbara Roche, Chair of Migration Matters
‘According to the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), if net migration were ceased, the UK’s net public sector debt would rise from 74 per cent of GDP today to 187 per cent by the middle of this century (2061/2). This is higher than Greece’s current national debt (161 per cent of GDP) and higher than at any time in the UK’s history, other than in the immediate aftermath of World War Two. ‘
‘We need our political leaders to be straight with the British public about this. Otherwise, in a political debate dominated by calls for every tighter restriction on migration, we are in danger of sleep-walking into a debt disaster.’
Immigration is of benefit to everyone
Socialist Economic Bulletin outlines statistics which show that immigration benefits all, that economic growth attracts migration but also benefits from it. Wages are not depressed by economic migrants to Britain. The conclusion is that the debate on migration does not address its economic realities, but rather allows some politicians to whip up xenophobia and racism
Debunking myths about Eastern European migration
Eastern European migrants are currently under the spotlight in the immigration debate. The reality is that they take less benefits and contribute more in taxes than the domestic population. Strikingly the numbers of Eastern European migrants make up less than 1% of the population despite generating a disproportionate amount of debate about their presence here.
International students make a net contribution to the economy
Jonathan Portes outlines how international students contribute to the economy, and raises concerns about The Home Office’s arbritary curb on migrant number which impacts on these students.
How Immigration Prevented Sheffield’s Managed Decline
Video of eminent statistician Danny Dorling’s talk for One Sheffield Many Cultures