The Sun should use language that reflects reality, not their readers' prejudices.
Foreigners now make up almost one in ten of all dole claimers, according to page 2 of today’s Sun.
The statistic is just the latest rejoinder in a row between the government and Brussels over the extent to which migrants are moving from country to country as ‘benefit tourists’ within the EU.
A total of 9.4 per cent of all Jobseekers Allowance claimants this year – 142,300 – were ‘not British born’, according to the Sun. This compares with the 3 per cent figure cited by the EU – prompting the Sun to boast that the “statistics used by the controversial [EU] report are almost two years out of date”.
The Sun’s story, however, is quite misleading.
Firstly, why has the paper chosen to use the broad term ‘not British born’ in a piece about benefit tourists coming to the UK from other EU countries?
One in 10 job seekers allowance claimants are ‘not British born’, according to the Sun. This is not the same, however, as one in 10 jobseekers allowance claimants being ‘benefit tourists’ from other parts of the European Union – as should have been obvious to the journalist writing the piece.
According to the 2011 census, one in eight – 13 per cent – of UK residents was born overseas. To give an example of just how fatuous the term ‘not British born‘ is, here are a few British national treasures who would fall under the paper’s definition of ‘benefit tourists’ should they ever sign on for jobseekers allowance (unlikely, I know):
Tory MP Daniel Hannan – born in Lima, Peru
Joanna Lumley – born in India
Eddie Izzard – born in Aden, Yemen
Richard E. Grant – born in Swaziland
Boris Johnson – born in New York, USA
Bradley Wiggins – born in Ghent, Belgium
John Barnes – born in Kingston, Jamaica
None of these celebrities were British born. According to the Sun, they are therefore ‘foreigners’ and potential ‘benefit tourists’.
As to the wider row about migrants coming from places like Poland and Hungary to claim benefits and ‘steal our jobs’ (you’ve probably noticed a contradiction there that some of our political commentators are seemingly oblivious to), there is, as it happens, no precedent to support such claims.
Research published by the government last year found that almost 17 per cent of all British nationals were receiving working-age benefits compared to under 7 per cent of all those classed as non-UK nationals when they first arrived in the UK.
As of February 2011, those who were foreign nationals when they first came to the UK represented 6.4 per cent of claimants – despite making up 13 per cent of the population.
Working-age benefits are defined as income support, job seeker’s allowance, carer’s allowance and disability living allowance.
This is a long-term trend. In 2008-09, at the height of Labour’s policy of so-called ‘uncontrolled immigration’, A8 immigrants paid 37 per cent more in direct or indirect taxes than they received in public goods and services.
A8 immigrants also contributed 0.96 per cent of total tax receipts and accounted for only 0.6 per cent of total expenditures (see table; click to zoom).
The Sun may not have wished their terminology to have been interpreted in this way. They may also have been attempting to whip up hostility to migrants using phrases like ‘not British born’. Either way, they should use language that reflects reality, not their readers’ prejudices.
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47 Responses to “Are 1 in 10 on the dole really immigrants?”
John Woods
Not only Germany, people like Cliff Richard and Spike Milligan were born in India and other overseas colonies and came back when we were decolonising. Just as well Australia did not decide that all the criminals we exported (transported) should go back home. What right does Jason Donovan have to return without permission from the Queen?
treborc1
I live in a back water in Wales which has been invaded by the Polish and to be honest my Job center is being honest and say they do not deal with the polish unemployed that’s done by an agency which is run in partnership between a private company and the council, this is due to a number of fights between youths who were looking for work at the job center and a really ill feeling between the two groups.
We have 9,000 polish people, in the most all houses by the council this again has caused great issues with families and again now a new housing group looking after the polish people.
But are more polish people on the dole no not in my area because we have 15,000 people out of work and we are told only 3,000 polish people, but then I look around my council estate and I can in honesty say the majority of the polish people I see are claiming benefits, then again so are the other groups.
gtrtyyytut
wake up immigrantion is destroying the UK
-10% of benefit claimants are immigrants
-600,000 EU immigrants do not work- http://www.dailystar.co.uk/star-says/345192/Immigration-is-bordering-on-insanity
-500,000 immigrants live in UK social housing
-all have free access to nhs and schools we have to pay for, NHS costs £1.5bil just for EU immigrants
Donnacha DeLong
Paddies like me aren’t immigrants, we have our own status (under the Common Travel Area, Irish citizens have a de facto right of abode in the UK) and can sign on here in Blighty. Given the collapse of the Irish economy, there’s probably more than a few signing on here.
Donnacha DeLong
Roma aren’t necessarily from Romania.