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.

The question arises why aren’t we training up people who aren’t working to be care workers. Maybe we should introduce some kind of national service where those not in education or work need to undertake socially useful work and get a tax free top up to their benefits

When I (UK citizen) applied for a spouse visa for my XH, the application was extremely expensive and tedious. I had to submit over 70 documents and it took months of preparation.
What astonished me is that immigrants on a work visa can bring over a dependent/spouse with very little paperwork/fee. XH friends would travel back to his home country, marry and bring over their wives that spoke no English.
Citizens of XH country (in the Middle East) recently were allowed 3 year visit visas (ETA) into the Uk by paying a £12 fee and only had to submit a copy of their passport. Xh was telling me how it has been recalled as so many were claiming asylum and lying that they were gay and that their lives would be in danger if they returned home.
YANBU!

The Vikings would like a word…

And what would they say, they invaded an already functioning country?

Yes National Service. Why not Bring Back the Birch while you are at it?

immigration is too high. Whilst we get some skilled workers we also get lots and lots of unskilled workers.
Lost of people coming to visa colleges to get a study permit here and will remain here illegal after their visa expires.

Eh? You feeling ok?

Care work is a vocation, it can't be done as national service. It isn't like litter picking.

The government spends on average 17k per person.

Someone earning 30k pays 5k in income tax and national insurance.

Most migrants are lower wage earners. They need subsidising by the government as they dont pay enough tax.

Using the Office for Budget Responsibility's own figures shows each low wage migrant coming to the UK and earning a low salary will cost the UK 465,000 pounds by the time they are 81.

Can we really afford to give away 500,000 per person to migrants?

Is it any wonder the UK is getting poorer?

We need to restrict immigration to a few highly skilled workers in areas where we are lacking skills. There are no "jobs that British people won't do" that require immigrants to be able to do them. Employers just need to pay better wages and improve working conditions.

I wonder if it's time for the UK and Europe to follow more of a Gulf model where people are invited to work, and stay for the duration of their work contracts, but are expected to return home and not retire here? Maybe in return for tax breaks in acknowledgement that they won't be receiving a pension and health care at a later stage?

Most migrants are lower wage earners.

Are they?
Can anyone understand the Earnings chart on this page? I think it's saying that the median income of migrants is a wage which is 80th percentile compared to all-UK working age income. In other words, the migrants earn WAY more than entirely-native British workers, typically.

I agree. I worked in the Gulf and healthcare must be provided by the company you work for in order to obtain a visa. The healthcare was the best I ever received.

Does this take into account the dependants that come here with them?

It doesn't take into account the dependents that native-British have, either, I suppose.

Some countries give you a lump sum from your pension contributions can’t see why this would be a problem and it’s a nice chunk of change to go home with

If you truly cared about this issue you’d stay and calmly debate. Educating people is the best way to counter racism.

You might want to double check your own understanding before critiquing someone else.

The ‘illegal’ bit refers to someone’s method of entry to the UK. If you are an illegal entrant, you don’t suddenly stop being an illegal entrant simply because you have claimed asylum. You will always be a person who has entered the UK illegally. That is an immutable fact. If you come in as, for instance, a student, and you simply don’t leave the country when your visa expires, you will never become an illegal entrant because you didn’t enter illegally. Instead, you will become an overstayer. Both are offences under the immigration laws and are completely separate to the asylum process. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6650731b8f4cb8fef9f64fad/Irregular+or+unlawful+entry+and+arrival.pdf

Also, for the previous poster who was lamenting our withdrawal from the Dublin Convention following Brexit, I don’t think you understand how it worked in practice. The current situation has zero to do with Brexit.

You are wrong OP. We at importing low skilled migrants to then pay for them to live. Immigrants are not net contributors. Not a controversial statement, but a true one. Migration is reducing the per capita income of every single person in this country. It is literally making people poorer individually.

To all the wide eyed faux outrage at who is going to do the jobs. How about the 10 million working age people not in work. About half of whom are being paid to sit at home and funded by the the net contributors. So net contributors are funding the welfare dependent out of work already here, and the migrants, who on average don’t enough to support themselves and their dependent when you take into account the services they use. Again not controversial, just true.

Immigration in this country is a disaster. A Ponzi scheme. Import millions of low skilled and unskilled to do low paid jobs. And them import some more millions to support them because they don’t earn enough to pay tax to be net beneficiaries.

What does this all mean? More and more people taking a share of an ever shrinking pie. Prepare to get poorer and poorer.

ETA is different. It will not lead to ILR (indefinite leave to remain). Those who are on ETA can't access public funds (housing benefit, child benefits, JSA etc.). Only those who are on ILR can access public funds (unless married to a UK citizen who happens to need an access to public funds).

Claiming asylum when on ETA is more or less similar to come here over boats.

Immigrants on work visa will pay even more fees to live here legally and bring their family. Now, they need to earn at least £38k, pay NHS surcharge annually and pay the fees for extending the visa for for themselves and family members.

@WildCat2877 the OP is referring to all immigrants. Not just illegal

Not sure you realise what 'net' means

🤣🤣 because it’s a hard job people don’t want to do. So immigrants are required (and willing) to do it.

@WildCat2877

And in the mean time we have to pay for them?
Of course we have to finance the upkeep of people seeking asylum. What are you suggesting? They just die of starvation? Live on the streets? Do you know what genuine asylum is?

Oh yeah, what a revelation. That it’s ok to not want to do a hard job and live for free. While low skilled migration can make up for those on welfare who don’t want to do it.

What A batshit country we live in. MN proves it everytime.