NEWS DIGEST 03: 26 MAY 2009

01. UK’s foreign baby boom

New figures released by the Government revealed that of the 708,708 births last year, 170,089 or 24 per cent were to immigrant mothers. This constitutes the highest number of migrant births in the UK since records began. Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch UK said that “the number of babies born to immigrant mothers is a clear-cut example of the pressure that massive numbers of immigrants place on our public services.”

The story was covered in the Daily Express

02. Return of East Europeans is no panacea

Immigration figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 20 May showed a slight decline in net migration Britain as a result of an increase in the numbers of East Europeans returning home as the recession bites. However, the Co-Chairmen of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration issued a statement warning against complacency and reminding people that even at the current rate, England’s population is on course to rise by 10 million in the next 20 years, 7 million of which will be due to immigration.

The story was covered by the Daily Mail and various regional newspapers such as the Belfast Telegraph

03. Seven out of ten voters want huge cut in immigration

A YouGov poll commissioned by Migrationwatch for the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration has found that 7 out of 10 adults want immigration cut by over 80 per cent and just 1 in 20 adults support the current level. The poll also found that found that 79 per cent of people were “concerned” or “very concerned” about the issue of immigration.

The story was covered in several national newspapers, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, Scottish Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph.

04. Minister admits Government got it wrong on number of East Europeans

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas admitted in early May that the Government “got it wrong” on its projections for the number of East Europeans who would enter the UK from the A8 countries. He told an audience at the Foreign Press Association that the miscalculation “turned out to have a very significant impact - and still is having a significant impact - on our public services.”

This was covered in The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail.

05. Amnesty would cost £1 million per illegal immigrant, says Migrationwatch

Migrationwatch calculated that an amnesty for illegal immigrants would cost the British taxpayer approximately £1 million per ‘average’ immigrant. They based the figure on the cost of state benefits and tax credits, etc, which immigrants might draw on during their lifetimes. This came as churchgoers, trade unionists and charity workers took part in a rally in London on 4 May in support of an ‘earned amnesty’ for 450,000 foreigners.

The story received coverage in the Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph.

06. Jobs for non-EU migrants down by a third but much remains to do

In late April, the Government announced that the number of jobs available to non-EU migrants seeking a work permit was to be reduced by a third. Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch issued a statement saying:
“This is a useful step forward but it still leaves half a million jobs that can be offered to economic migrants without first being advertised locally. With unemployment at two million there is no justification for this. British workers should have first crack at all jobs that become available.”

This received coverage in the Daily Mail.

07. Rapid increase in numbers needing language assistance for driving tests

Figures released by the Government to Frank Field MP, Co-Chair of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration reveal that there has been a 43 per cent increase in three years in the number of driving theory tests where voice-overs are used to assist people who cannot speak English properly or need to take the test in a foreign language. Frank Field MP and Nicholas Soames MP said:
“These figures show not just the pressure on our roads, but also on our society. In just 5 years, additional language assistance was provided in 863,783 theory tests for people who needed help in understanding simple English. If uncontrolled immigration continues at this pace, how can we hope to integrate newcomers into our society?”

The story was covered in The Daily Telegraph.

08. South East housing plan fails to mention impact of immigration

The Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration issued a statement on 7 May pointing out that the Government’s South East Plan sets out how it intends to deliver 654,000 new homes between now and 2026 but does not even mention immigration, which is a significant cause of new demand. The Balanced Migration press release can be viewed here.

09. Cross Party Group reiterates pressure immigration places on new housing

In late April, Frank Field, the Co-Chair of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration, said that because immigration will account for 70 per cent of population growth in the next twenty years, the UK will have to build one house every six minutes in this time period.

The story was covered by the Sunday Mirror, Sunday Express, The Scotsman, The People and The Sun.

10. Scandal of bogus colleges exposes hold in immigration defences

News on 1 April that one quarter of UK colleges who have applied to admit overseas students have been denied a license by the Home Office, prompted a response from Frank Field MP and Nicholas Soames MP, co-chairmen of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration. The MPs said:
“This is a worrying but not totally astonishing revelation. While Ministers are right to tighten the immigration system, this uncovers the shambles that they have allowed to develop – a huge number of dodgy colleges, some of which are simply designed to get round immigration controls. Given there are nearly a quarter of a million non-EU students in British higher education institutions, the question this poses is ‘how are many are here under false pretences?’ Ministers need to answer that question now in Parliament.”

The story was covered by politics.co.uk

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