To be shocked at the net migration figures currently being discussed

[Feelingathomenow]

Yesterday’s figures discussed by the Tories stated that since 2010 the net migration figures to the UK has equalled the size of the population of Wales. Today we were told the figures to June 2023 showed a net migration figure of nearly 1 million for that year, for the year to June 2024 this had reduced to a mere 3/4 of a million. The numbers coming in of the boats per year alone is equal to a large town. AIBU to think this has to stop. We need to immediately crack down on people allowed into this country- limit it to urgently needed highly skilled jobs and start offshore processing (or similar) of the people who are here illegally (basically like many other countries).

We just can’t cope with those numbers. - no wonder our infrastructure is collapsing, we have a housing crisis etc.

I want to hear from the government how they are going to tackle it. We have heard from the Tories now it is over to Starmer.

same as my home town

Taking your figures on face value, it's not 10% because you can't provide a meaningful percentage based on the net migration amount. The sky article shared earlier says that immigration was 1.2m. So your people coming on boats (on your figures) are 6%.

Separately, there just can't be a discussion on net migration ignoring overall population changes. Without net migration, our population would be in decline and aging (UK birthrate is below 2 per woman).

I have to agree with others that the concept of 'need people to do jobs that Brits won't do' is pretty terrible (and racist - plenty of the people coming are students (affording school and university fees the vast majority of the British population couldn't) or qualified professionals and their families) and not long term sustainable - we can't continue to have a society and economy that needs low paid foreign workers to be able to run. That needs systematic change.

Finally asylum is a fundamental human right. We should all support it because anyone can find themselves in the position they need to seek asylum. The UK takes very few asylum seekers in global terms and 60% of applications are granted approval at the first decision i.e. they're just obviously genuine. The per capita figures for the UK are somewhere (depending on year) between 17th and 20th in the EU, and our numbers completely pale into nothingness on a global scale (UK was 0.13% in 2022, there are countries that have 5-10% rates).

No don't go we need it don't listen to reform lot

The government is directly responsible for 99 per cent of the people allowed into the country! Do yourself a favour and enquire about the stringent visa application process to enter the Uk and other requirements to settle in the Uk! If the UK does NOT need immigration the government will put a STOP TO IT.

The UK was founded on migration. We need immigrants.

We need immigrants in sustainable numbers. What we're currently getting isn't sustainable. There isn't the housing, or the infrastructure, and social tensions are building.

Even Trudeau in Canada has just announced the need to completely scale back on immigration levels.

Goodness Starmer's really clutching at straws isn't he

Did you check the actual percentage that are refugees/asylum seekers? It was less than 10 %, it’s usually men so that they can get settled/find work - I certainly wouldn’t send a daughter or wife off under the circumstances. Sexist? Probably but there you are. There were about a quarter of a million Ukrainians, and a large proportion were Indian. The majority of people were coming to work or study.

Safe Travels back home if you choose to leave. Hope you have enjoyed your stay.

My grandfather moved to Scotland from Ireland in the 1930s. My father moved from Scotland to London and then Norfolk in the 1960s. I've moved all over the UK. As the granddaughter of an immigrant, I am British, have a well paid job and pay a lot in tax.

I have lived in London where practically every country in the world is represented. I've lived in the East Midlands where there are large numbers of immigrants from India and Pakistan. I've lived in East Anglia where the immigrants are white Eastern European.

I've worked with people from all kinds of nationalities from every continent in the world.

All of the immigrants I've met want to work. Most of them do work. A lot of them have children who are indistinguishable from British children except for their surnames.

There is nowhere in Britain where you can escape migration, nor should you want to. Our culture is brilliant and is improved by immigration, whether by those working in essential services, nail bars or hospitality or hygiene cultural additions like food or festivals.

We can never return to the days when there were no migrants because those days never existed.

@Feelingathomenow genuine question, what is it really that bothers you about migration? Because I promise you it is not migration that is at the heart of your issue, but underfunding from 14 years of Tory government or the incessant drip of racist invective from the right wing press that means you perceive it as a problem but in reality it isn't directly affecting you.

Rwanda policy was a shit idea it cost far to much if you wanted that policy then that telle me everything about you. Only about 200 or so was gonna go it's not right

Agree. Recently cared for a woman in labour. Here on her husbands student visa. Both spoke minimal English and were having their 6th baby.

Migration to the UK - and many other countries - will continue to grow as the climate crisis intensifies and wipes out the ability of millions of people to continue to live in their homes. Also, the UK might want to think about playing our part in continuing to displace people from their homes overseas by selling our bombs and other weapons of war to their governments.

There's not very much the average person can do to mitigate either of those things alone. It'll take unprecedented human cooperation on a global scale to rectify.

It doesn’t really matter, we just don’t have the infrastructure to cope with that many extra people.

Actually, Anglo Saxons are Germanic. People migrate, nothing new. I think immigrants (defined as foreign born) now make up around 16% of the population.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_immigration_to_Great_Britain

From ye old Wikipedia

With the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, large numbers of Germanic speakers from the continent migrated to the southern parts of the island, becoming known as the Anglo-Saxons and eventually forming England. Beginning at the end of the eighth century, bands of Vikings began to invade and subsequently settle. In 1066, the Normans successfully took control of England. Subsequently, the Plantagenet Dynasty held the Throne of England from 1154 to 1485. These events resulted in a continuous flow of migration from France during this period. Other European migrants included Flemings and French Huguenots.
The Great Famine in Ireland, then part of the United Kingdom, resulted in perhaps a million people migrating to Great Britain.[1] Throughout the 19th century, a small population of 28,644 German immigrants built up in England and Wales. London held around half of this population, and other small communities existed in Manchester, Bradford and elsewhere. The German immigrant community was the largest group until 1891, when it became second to Russian Jews.[2] After 1881, Russian Jews suffered bitter persecutions and as a result 2 million left the Russian Empire by 1914. Around 120,000 settled permanently in Britain, becoming the largest ethnic minority from outside the British Isles,[3] and by 1938 this population had increased to 370,000.[4] Unable to return to Poland at the end of the Second World War, over 120,000 Polish veterans remained in the UK permanently.[5] After the war, many people immigrated from colonies and former colonies in the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent, as a legacy of empire or driven by labour shortages.

what is it really that bothers you about migration? Because I promise you it is not migration that is at the heart of your issue, but underfunding from 14 years of Tory government or the incessant drip of racist invective from the right wing press that means you perceive it as a problem but in reality it isn't directly affecting you.

It's people seeing a drastic cultural and demographic shift in certain areas, that has nothing to do with funding. The lack of integration into UK culture. People understandably don't like that.

How many people (men) have been displaced by climate change and British bombs in Vietnam, Albania or Egypt..

I 100 % agree with you OP but you will be flamed for saying that on here.
One MN member told me I was a nasty piece of work as I said how ridiculous it was that she was suggesting that a lot of the men on the dinghies were doctors or lawyers. That's what we are dealing with here.
Until honest and open debate can occur around this instead of the usual screaming of 'You are a bigot ' occuring everytime someone points out their concerns then nothing will be resolved.

As for filling the jobs, yes, some might but others do not want to work and let's not forget their English is either poor or non existent. Skilled workers wanting to integrate, fine. But there are a huge proportion who do not want to do that and it's completely disingenuous to say differently.

Also need to make a clear distinction between legal migrants and illegal immigrants. The latter is a threat to national security; linked to crime, gangs, modern slavery.

@Feelingathomenow - have you followed any of this before? They've lied and lied for years. Sorry really isn't good enough. Look up how much they spent on Rwanda.

They're not soldiers though are they? And if you were planning an invasion, small boats that people drown from is a stupid way to do it.

How do you know that they don't want to work? The fact remains that because we have cut the border force, and it's very difficult for them to be processed. It's taking years and years to be processed. I think that many do want to work because they don't get much money. They literally on 30 pound a week. When they are on asylum, it's not a lot, but it would be much better if they will process much faster. It's very slow

These are net figures.

@Feelingathomenow - just read a few more of your posts. I can see you are anti Labour and you've failed to see how the right wing and the right wing press has weaponised this issue and othered immigrants. It is racist.

It would be better if we did what America does allow them to work and process them, and if they're not allowed to work after they have been processed, they can be booted out this country, but unfortunately, we don't do that so they have to rely on living in hotels. Ideally, it would be great if they could find a job. And then they would be able to rent themselves somewhere

They don't come here to be unemployed - they WANT to work (aside from the students, obv), and they wouldn't be kicking their heels in asylum hotels if they were fast tracked into legal work, which is what they want. Worry about the right to remain later, but we need the labour now. The jobs are there for them - ask any building site manager.

On top of that, the birth rate is collapsing so if you want someone around to pay your pension, OP, you'd better hope that some of these immigrants stay and have kids, because people here certainly aren't.