to wonder how the country will cope with hundreds of thousands more people each year?

[evilcherub]

If the UK is going to continue to have immigration of hundreds of thousands every year (which is more likely if we don't leave the EU) and the Tories apparently having no real interest in building more genuinely affordable homes (because lower house prices do not bring in votes for the Tories), then where are the millions of extra people and families going to live (when there is already a massive housing crisis and homelessness is going through the roof)? Also, what about all the extra schools needed, the extra hospitals (when at the moment they cannot cope and the Tories want to privatise them anyway), the jobs etc? Unless you are well off/bought your home years ago and have a well-established, well paying job, then immigration means extreme and expensive competition for housing, school places, healthcare, jobs etc. I just don't see it ending well.

[Limer]

Cannot help wondering who the hell is going to work in hostels, restaurants or as nurses, carers or cleaning staff if EU citizens are to be sent back home? For I have hardly met any young Britons doing so.

These jobs need to pay decent wages. I don't see the sense in bringing in cheap labour from abroad whilst simultaneously getting the taxpayer to foot the bill for all the additional costs - housing, education, health, etc. No wonder our taxes are so high. There's a huge oversupply of cheap labour and the bosses are laughing all the way to the bank. Minimum wage and zero-hour contracts for so many jobs, it's scandalous.

Fair wages would mean it would be worth taking those jobs. Unemployment's rising towards 2 Million, it shouldn't be a choice to stay workless.

[Myosotisbleu]

These jobs need to pay decent wages. I don't see the sense in bringing in cheap labour from abroad whilst simultaneously getting the taxpayer to foot the bill for all the additional costs - housing, education, health, etc. No wonder our taxes are so high. There's a huge oversupply of cheap labour and the bosses are laughing all the way to the bank. Minimum wage and zero-hour contracts for so many jobs, it's scandalous.

Totally agree with you but then, if workers'rights are so appalling here, it isn't the E.U or its citizens' fault, is it? Britain has the most deregulated system on that matter in Europe. Sure, unemployment toll is fairly low as compared to continental Europe, but at what price? If Britain was to leave the Union, workers situation would even worsen as remaining means it has to agree to minimum rights set by Europe.

Key protections for workers that derive from European Directives are, amongst others : Paid holidays for all workers, Limits on the overall hours worked & compulsory rest breaks, Equal pay between men & women, Protection of employment on change of employer (through sales, privatisations, etc), Health & Safety rights, Equal treatment for part-time workers, minimum rights for pregnant women, Protection of young people at work, Equal protection for agency temporary workers, and so on...

[AppleSetsSail]

Cannot help wondering who the hell is going to work in hostels, restaurants or as nurses, carers or cleaning staff if EU citizens are to be sent back home? For I have hardly met any young Britons doing so.

And this is at the heart of the matter. These people are just going to have to pay more money to get people to work.

Totally agree with you but then, if workers'rights are so appalling here, it isn't the E.U or its citizens' fault, is it?

But why flood the market with cheap labour and then try to impose all these regulations and tax credits to lift the minimum wage? That's doomed for failure. There is enormous market pressure working against low-paid workers right now, and no amount of regulation is going to fix that.

[Limer]

Key protections for workers that derive from European Directives are, amongst others : Paid holidays for all workers, Limits on the overall hours worked & compulsory rest breaks, Equal pay between men & women, Protection of employment on change of employer (through sales, privatisations, etc), Health & Safety rights, Equal treatment for part-time workers, minimum rights for pregnant women, Protection of young people at work, Equal protection for agency temporary workers, and so on...

A lot of this is not down to only the EU, improvements in UK workers' rights was begun by the trade unions and the EU has reinforced that drive. Leaving the EU doesn't mean those rights are lost, I would expect them all to be retained, and hopefully improved upon.

But I see workers' rights being eroded everywhere. Zero-hours contracts were unheard of before seemingly unlimited cheap labour arrived from the EU. And this cheap labour isn't just for unskilled work, there are thousands upon thousands of bright young EU graduates seeking their futures here. I know many UK people who put in extra unpaid hours, make themselves available during weekends/holidays, etc., all because they are terrified that they'll be kicked out in favour of some European who'll do the same job for half the money. The trade unions have literally been sleeping on the job and should be doing far more - some do seem to be waking up and smelling the coffee and recommending that their members vote for Brexit.

[StepintotheLightleave]

I think people confuse ( and its easy to do so) Posters moaning about too much immigration and blaming the immigrants themselves for that.

Too much immigration is nothing to do with the immigrants ( the legal ones) its about the government.

Is the Government acting in its countries citizens best interests by allowing open door immigration to the EU.

Looking at our young people, young teens, does it help them?

[Myosotisbleu]

Leaving the EU doesn't mean those rights are lost, I would expect them all to be retained, and hopefully improved upon.

Well, one can always dream but with the Tories slashing the Trade Unions and wanting us to work until the age of 75, it seems unlikely to happen.

[AppleSetsSail]

the Tories slashing the Trade Unions and wanting us to work until the age of 75,

Living longer means working longer. Government can't change that reality.