Pandering to anti-migrant sentiment is hurting the British economy.
Pandering to anti-migrant sentiment is hurting the British economy
In seeking to see off the threat from UKIP, David Cameron’s government has put a great deal of stock in appearing ‘tough’ on immigration.
Back in 2010 Cameron argued that it was “perfectly possible” to halve net migration without damaging companies or the economy.
Four years on and the results of this assumption are starting to come in; and it doesn’t bode well for the coalition.
According to a new study carried out by the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory for the Financial Times, the number of highly skilled migrants from outside Europe fell by more than a third since between 2011 and 2013.
There were 28,000 fewer highly skilled migrants in the UK last year compared to 2011, a drop of just over 10 per cent.
As the FT (£) reports:
“While researchers stop short of blaming policy changes for the decline in skilled specialists from Asia, Africa and the Americas, the findings are clear: the reduction in non-EU hires between 2011 and 2013 has been mirrored by a corresponding 53 per cent rise in highly skilled migrants from older EU countries such as France and Germany.”
Particularly telling is a comment in the FT’s by the director general of the CBI John Cridland:
“I certainly pick up in international markets that there’s now a perception that the UK isn’t as open to highly skilled migrants and investors and entrepreneurs.”
In April 2011 the government abolished Labour’s ‘highly skilled’ visa route and introduced an annual cap on the number of skilled workers allowed into the UK. They also put an end to the post-study work visa, which had previously allowed overseas graduates to stay in Britain to look for work for two years after finishing their studies.
Responding to the findings, the business secretary Vince Cable told the FT that the net migration target was “not government policy”. He added that it “clearly had a damaging impact on UK plc by reducing the talent pool available to companies based here”.
Despite previously insisting that Britain is ‘still open for business’, it appears that pandering to anti-migrant sentiment is directly hurting the British economy.
38 Responses to “It’s official: the immigration clampdown is hurting British business”
consciousness
No we just want some land homogenous to ourselves, were we can escape the inevitable “Blended Future” that anti-Whites like you encourage in ALL white countries.
Africans have a home, Asians have a home, and under international law, white people are entitled to a home as well.
What kind of HATER would oppose that?
Kay
I support immigration. My parents were immigrants. I find that I am increasingly isolated in my views and that more and more of my circle are sceptics rather than anti-immigration. Articles like this don’t help the Left formulate a convincing case for immigration, with false promises in the headline and a laughably lazy final sentence.
My main point is that this article in “Left Foot Foward – Evidence Based Political Blogging” (sic) is devoid of any evidence that Business is hurting because of the reduced numbers of non-EU skilled migrants. If the evidence is there, let’s shout about it!
Leon Wolfeson
The evidence is in the scientific studies which have shown that immigrants only hurt the wages of other recent (less than 5 year) immigrants.
Belabouring the point simply gives the right ammunition. If Labour had a clue, they’d be hammering on the entirely domestic ecomomic fails of the Coalition – but instead they’re promising to follow their financial plans.
The “case” is simple – unless you like isolation and poverty for the 99%, there’s no alternative. Plenty of the rich are fine with that, as they’re in the 1%. That’s really all there is to it.
Cathy Wilson
Strain on housing and public services, untold damage to our local environment and turning the UK into a concrete jungle to house millions of third world migrants into an over-policed surveilance state containing a tiny percentile of hyper-rich globalist elites and masses upon masses of underemployed surplus to requirements – sound like fun? Then vote LIB LAB CON, otherwise vote UKIP.
Guest
Guys i Just wonder to say that thanks to the EU your economies getting well, otherwise your country could drop down in a huge crisis..moreover i would mention most of the Brighton doesn’t have the UK to undesrstand what is really happening! So just take it easy!there’s a lot of jb and bread for everybody!!!