Immigrants have cost the tax payer over £140 billion since 1995 | Migration Watch UK
Recent immigrants from 2001 to 2011 might have cost over £25 bn Migration Watch UK today issued a new assessment of the cost of immigration to the tax payer. The outcome is that immigrants cost the taxpayer over £140 billion or more than £22 million a day over the 17 years 1995 – 2011. The Migration Watch […]
MW322 : Migration Watch UK Evidence to MAC Review on Low Skilled Work | Migration Watch UK
Summary 1. Large scale immigration by low paid workers from the EU reduces the wages of low skilled British workers, adds nothing to GDP per head but adds considerably to pressure on public services. In-work benefits are a huge incentive and must be reformed. Recommendations are at paragraph 14. Introduction 2. Migration Watch UK believes […]
MW319 : Non-Active EU migrants and access to welfare | Migration Watch UK
Summary 1. Despite overall low rates of unemployment of EU citizens in the UK, the UK also contains the largest proportion of EU job-seekers who have never worked, suggesting that our residence based benefits system is all too easy to access. These migrants cost the taxpayer nearly £400 million a year. Whether they come originally […]
MW314 : Immigration and Public Debt – Comment on the OBR’s Sustainability Report 2013 | Migration Watch UK
Summary 1. The recent OBR report was deeply misleading on immigration because it: Detail 2. The recent OBR report on fiscal sustainability has been widely misunderstood or misquoted to suggest that immigration control would massively increase the burden of public debt. For example: “How much do we want to cut net migration anyway, when the […]
Comment on the Office for Budgetary Responsibility report | Migration Watch UK
Commenting on the report released by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: “Once again the OBR has given only part of the story. It is true that, in the medium term, migration provides a larger pool of working age people which increases tax revenues. But, of course, […]
MW289 : EU Nationals and access to the British Welfare State | Migration Watch UK
Summary 1. Access to the UK benefit system is primarily based on residence. An EU national who moves to the UK and is considered habitually resident has the same entitlement to benefits as a UK national regardless of their previous tax or National Insurance contributions. Habitual Residence is automatic in the case of workers and […]
Incentives for Romanian and Bulgarian Migration to the UK
Summary 1. Even at the minimum wage in Britain there are very strong financial incentives for Romanians and Bulgarians to migrate to the UK, especially as wages here are topped up by substantial in-work benefits. Take home pay (including benefits) for a single worker is four or five times higher and for families eight or […]
Generous UK Welfare System a Magnet for EU Workers | Migration Watch UK
The UK benefits system is so generous and easy to access that it is likely to prove a “magnet” to people from poorer EU countries as the economic turmoil in the region intensifies, says a new report out today. With all movement restrictions for economic migrants from Romania and Bulgaria due to be lifted at […]
MW280 : Making the Immigration System work for Start-up Companies | Migration Watch UK
Introduction 1. Recruiting a non-EU worker can be lengthy and cumbersome for a small start-up business. This note explains the process and suggests improvements. Tier 2 2. Tier 2 of the Points Based System allows employers to bring in a worker from outside the EU when an employer has been unable to find a suitable […]
The Economic Value of International Students
Summary 1. Migration Watch UK has reviewed the methodology used to calculate the value of international students. It has also found that the true value to the UK of those students subject to immigration control is significantly less than often cited. The value of international students in 2008/09 was £4.3 billion to the UK or […]