Today’s numbers are deeply disappointing with an across the board increase in immigration, a fall in British emigration, and no increase in departures.
Net migration at this level is simply not sustainable. It will put huge further strain on our infrastructure, housing and school places. If current levels were allowed to continue, the population would increase by 12 million in 20 years. [1]
This means that the present and future governments must redouble their efforts before immigration spins entirely out of control.
The government should be commended for moving beyond rhetoric to clear targets and concrete measures. The government have done a great deal but more time is needed for their measures to take effect. It is essential that further action be taken on three fronts:
- Some limits on low skilled EU migration.
- Further tightening of non-EU migration, especially students of whom only about one third appear to be leaving.
- A major push on removal. At present there is no effective removal of over stayers, indeed, very few are even detected as exit controls are not in place.
Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said: ‘Getting the numbers down is proving even more difficult than expected, but either we get immigration under control or we accept that in the next twenty years we will have to build twelve new cities the size of Birmingham. Where can they possibly be put?’
[1] Based on an adjustment to the 2012 ONS population projection of high net migration of 225,000.
