Immigration - can someone please explain it to me in simple terms?

sorry typo - most current arrivals are NOT net contributors although many do important jobs like caring jobs. Although the problem with these jobs isn't solved as new arrivals will move on quickly to other jobs which are better paid. These jobs ultimately need to be valued by society and those doing them should be paid more,

There was a discussion about housebuilding on the radio. The builders won’t build as not enough people can afford to buy them, it’s unviable for them.

@nomoreforks thats a great explanation

How do they even prove how many children they have? It must be open to abuse.

It isn’t.

The majority are net contributors (so they take more out of the pot than they give ie. they are not high earners).

Net contributors put more in than they take out.

Above is the best description.

Simple terms - large numbers of people are coming here each year. The majority are net contributors (so they take more out of the pot than they give ie. they are not high earners). Lots of these jobs are really important like caring jobs but they do not pay well enough so the people doing them take more in terms of education, NHS and other costs. Many of our public services are struggling and they need more money. There are not enough rich people in the country to tax to cover the amount of money required. At the same time we have an increasing pension amount as people are getting older and take more money from the pot. We also have more people claiming benefits as they are unable to work. At some point things will begin to collapse and there is a chance that there could be some sort of social unrest. The government is trying to do more things like build more housing but it is almost an impossible job. Even getting the materials for extra house building is really difficult let alone the planning issues and also finding the skilled labour to help to build housing. At the same time there are going to be huge issues with food due to war and climate change. We are hugely reliant on food imports which may stop and we would be unable to feed ourselves.

Where was I waxing lyrical about Polish people? I distinctly remember reading impact studies before Brexit demonstrating that EU migration was a net positive for the EU. Whatever was agreed during the actual Brexit process, EU migrants are no longer even coming here more than are leaving? In the year ending 2024, it was minus 95000.
I also recently read an article stating clearly that the return of Polish workers to Poland is having a great impact on their own economy. Now if some would like to believe that it is the British child benefit topping up the Polish economy, then that has got to be satire.

Yes I did mix you up with another poster and I apologise.

Not sure where you think I've posted anything hateful or non-factual about anyone or anything so I'm certainly not 'blinded by hate' but made a simple mistake.

Also it wasn’t that great for the poorer citizens in the UK whilst this was going on. This is always conveniently forgotten

satanic mills

Yes I don’t agree with it at all and never have done and I’m sure it’s open to abuse

It just seems wrong to pay child benefit for a child not actually living in the UK. Especially when the cost of living is likely much less in their country of origin. It’s costing us a fortune to employ someone. Better to use unemployed UK workers surely? I don’t think it’s racist to not want to send taxpayers money abroad. Everyone is complaining about potholes & GP waiting lists. The government have stopped winter fuel payment, maybe we need to make savings elsewhere?

I feel the British empire as a whole did actually a lot of good. A lot of infrastructure development and spreads the rule of law. You can see it as a form of Foreign Direct Investment actually. In history people were always conquering each other, just the British were quite successful.

British citizens don't deserve to suffer just because historically bad things happened. We owe migrants nothing.

The white paper is mostly legal migration and without sorting out the border issue Labour will lose support.

ETA plus the biggest drop was due to last gov, although it does help Labour claim some of it

There is loads in the White Paper. If they deliver that, that is plenty.
It seems some on here think we need a hard cap! Like 75000 max net a year and if not, then what? As if having a cap is any different than having the aims in the White Paper or the aims to build 300000 a year. It is just a target.
Reform cannot deliver and close the borders without crashing the entire economy. On their promises to fund everyone and their granny’s first cousin’s uncle’s dog onto benefits, will not deliver more either.
If you are so patriotic then contribute yourself. Buy British only, never order UberEat, never put your pension money into US stocks, buy British, live by what you preach. Otherwise it is just a royal waste of everyone’s time.
I am camp “opt out” of this nonsense.

Genuinely - what WOULD a government do, without stepping outside HR legislation (to do that would erode ALL our rights, just not people not born in the UK). Think carefully, think knock on effects. Brexit threw the baby out with the bath water. Well, actually, Brexit threw the baby out (our freedom of movement and France helping filter the tide of those wishing to come here) and left the bath water here.

Honestly, I think we’re heading for re-set. Superpowers are continuing to fuel and fund wars, people rabidly hate other people and everyone just wants to grab what they can for themselves. The rich gather more and more money they can’t spend whilst the rest of us either savage each other or opt out.

It wasn’t in my lifetime and I’m sick and tired of this argument

other countries have done exactly the same. Why don’t they go there for a change

Interesting thread. It’s a very complex issue. But nonetheless, is IS an issue

I haven't waxed lyrical about anything on this thread, including Polish people? You are mixing me up with someone else?

Hate does tend to blind people to facts, though.

Didn't say it did.
But perhaps if Britain hadn't interferred with,destabilized and asset stripped all over world, the people from these counties wouldn't have the need to emigrate from their homeland to a racist country which despises them.

There are things a government can do. And likely will when voters get it together to give mandate for it.

No one thinks there should be no limit unless they're hard of thinking. We'd sink if we allowed the world unlimited entry.

I'm not sure exactly what you expect the government to do.

The government’s limit is clearly far too high.

but it’s still not high enough for some people who think there should be no limit, or can’t tell you a rough ball park for what a limit should be

We obviously have limits on how many people we give visas to. The government have brought in restrictions on visas.

we can and should try to build more houses.

that is only one half of the equation though, it’s like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom.

even meeting the government’s housing targets - which everyone knows is impossible - won’t be enough.

Even if all our kids become bricklayers unfortunately we can’t magically grow more land