Now that we've pulled apart the idea that newly-arrived immigrants are being fast-tracked to social housing ahead of indigenous Britains, it's worth a quick look at the myth that immigrants are somehow a drain on the economy; that there is a pressing need to "get tough" with them, send them home, afflict various hardships on them, whatever takes your right-wing fancy.
Now that we’ve pulled apart the idea that newly-arrived immigrants are being fast-tracked to social housing ahead of indigenous Britains, it’s worth a quick look at the myth that immigrants are somehow a drain on the economy; that there is a pressing need to “get tough” with them, send them home, afflict various hardships on them, whatever.
Much like the scaremongering over social housing, the perception that immigrants are somehow a drain on the country is built on a foundation of xenophobic sand.
As a 2009 study has noted, immigrants from the “A8 countries” – that is the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Poland – are around 60 per cent less likely than natives to receive state benefits or tax credits or to live in social housing.
The report added that “even if A8 immigrants had the same demographic characteristics of natives, they would still be 13 per cent less likely to receive benefits and 28 per cent less likely to live in social housing”.
In 2008-09 – the year prior to the study – A8 immigrants paid 37 per cent more in direct or indirect taxes than they received in public goods and services.
And here is the important bit: in 2008-09 – at the height of Labour’s policy of so-called “uncontrolled immigration” – A8 immigrants contributed 0.96 per cent of total tax receipts and accounted for only 0.6 per cent of total expenditures (see table).
As Left Foot Forward has previously pointed out, immigrants are helping to pay for our pensions.
33 Responses to “EU migrants flooding over here…paying for our pensions”
jack johnson
It is so amusing that a left wing site like Left Foot Forward attracts so many fascist contributors.
They all look at the problem from the wrong end of the telescope,when government policy
reduces spending on all public services and fails to provide enough social housing then these
things naturally come under severe pressure.The failure of government to produce meaningful
employment and services is then blamed on somebody else.It’s called ‘divide and rule’ and has
been going on since the Romans. Hitler blamed the jews, the Tories always blame immigrants.
Instead of encouraging tax evasion and avoidance by sacking HMRC workers and allowing tax
havens and multinational companies to pay no tax, various estimates put this at between 60
and £120 billion per annum,there would be plenty in the kitty to provide services and invest
in industry and research and development.
jack johnson
I should also have said that the first sign of lunacy is when they keep doing the same
things and expecting different results, so it is with austerity measures which are supposed
to reduce deficits but actually increase them. Sense is not common.Common sense is
so rare on the right that it should be treated as a super power if any of them have it.
Ben Franklin
What a load of crap,why has the pension age in the UK risen in relation with the influx of immigrants?
Immigrant workers may pay a small percentage into the treasury but how many send the bulk of their earnings OUT of the UK and back home to retire on.
What’s the percentage of immigrants that have taken jobs away from British born nationals,and the percentage of immigrants draining funds with benefits they shouldn’t be entitled to.
The cost of of immigration on NHS budgets and resources?
It’s about time libs lefties and appeasing muppets woke up and see the real damage without the rose tinted glasses on.