Migration.
Posted: 16 Jul 2018, 13:00
The latest figures show that 139,000 EU nationals left the UK last year, but the net long-term migration saw 240,000 coming in. Net migration from non-EU countries was 311,000.
The overall increase once UK nationals leaving is taken into account is a population increase of 316,000. That is unsustainable.
We have, of course, had the weasel words from government that it "hopes" to reduce the figure to the "tens of thousands" once Brexit is complete.
This has nothing to do with Brexit. Most of those coming in are low-skilled economic migrants from outside the EU. Their flow could be reduced overnight. When it comes to EU migrants we also have control over their long-term stay in the UK using the same EU rules other members use. We cannot stop FoM except in exceptional circumstances, but we can set the qualifying period for benefits, the level at which they are paid, and how long for. If an EU migrant does not get a job suitable to sustain them, or no job at all, then their best option is to go home.
Whichever way it is looked at the UK has the power to control migration and it must act, it really must.
The overall increase once UK nationals leaving is taken into account is a population increase of 316,000. That is unsustainable.
We have, of course, had the weasel words from government that it "hopes" to reduce the figure to the "tens of thousands" once Brexit is complete.
This has nothing to do with Brexit. Most of those coming in are low-skilled economic migrants from outside the EU. Their flow could be reduced overnight. When it comes to EU migrants we also have control over their long-term stay in the UK using the same EU rules other members use. We cannot stop FoM except in exceptional circumstances, but we can set the qualifying period for benefits, the level at which they are paid, and how long for. If an EU migrant does not get a job suitable to sustain them, or no job at all, then their best option is to go home.
Whichever way it is looked at the UK has the power to control migration and it must act, it really must.