News Reviews from 2013 |
The 2010 report of the Migration Observatory contained the following poll evidence:
For these cities, mass inward migration has not triggered or followed economic boom; in fact the reverse is true. Many of these cities are losing their middle classes and containing larger concentrations of poor people in hyper ghettos. Their economies are also hollowing out with the new jobs comprising of low paid service sector work which generates further demands for income top ups through welfare. Quite simply there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Britain’s experience of mass inward migration has brought any substantive benefits.
Indeed there is more evidence that mass inward migration is depressing wages, concentrating disadvantage, creating cultural tensions and increasing the demands upon the Government through welfare benefits. In places like Stoke-on-Trent the Polish are driving the buses, stocking the shelves and serving you at the shops. These jobs are not beyond the capacity of local people but there is a big problem around their willingness to do them.
The freedom of labour to move between countries for work is a fundamental principle of the EU. However, in practice this means that people will move from poorer regions to richer regions. Since 2004 there have been huge population movements (particularly from the former Eastern Bloc regions to the UK). Between 2001 and 2011 over 7.5 million people moved into the UK (and many moved back out again). During this period countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania are projected to lose population in the 16-64 age group (source: http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/country-profiles/country-profiles) thereby hampering their ability to rebuild their economies. Again, the regions most likely to lose population will be those that are already economically disadvantaged. The freedom of labour objective therefore conflicts with the regional harmonisation agenda.
The existing disparities between countries and the existence of different welfare regions also encourage migration from the poorer countries to those that offer better health and welfare. Similarly the ERASMUS programme (whereby the EU funds foreign students to study in other countries) is likely to increase the numbers wishing to study and stay in richer countries.
The cohesion agenda of the EU ignores the geographic and historical contexts of regions. For example, ports will have characteristics and advantages relating to transport, trade and logistics. There is no way that these advantages can be transplanted to cities which do not have access to sea trading routes. Just as there is no way (without significant climate change) that Ireland can enter the champagne production sector there is no way that the flat plains of Poland can compete with the South of France as a tourist destination. Regions are complex places routed in specific geographies, with political and historical legacies and inhabited by people with different outlooks – equalisation is an impossible objective and the means of pursuing this objective are likely to reduce the efficient allocation of resources and hinder the emergence of comparative advantages.
So where are we? There is now a sort of consensus around the need to control borders and limit immigration. But whilst we remain members of the European Union there is little realistic prospects of being able to implement any meaningful restrictions of EU migrants. Similarly, the Human Rights Act makes it extremely difficult to exclude other immigrants. Quite simply we have neither the will nor the means to control mass immigration. The only real means is to make Britain less attractive to inward migrants and this will mean radically reducing welfare benefits, restricting access to health services and housing and, crucially, restricting access to housing benefits. Addressing mass immigration to the UK means reducing our welfare state and reviewing our status within the European Union.
Some background articlesRise of 'white flight', by Emma Reynolds, Daily Mail 27 January 2013 Worried about immigration? Then go and live in Romania, by Marie Dhumieres, Independent 31 January 2013 |