Immigration population up another 700k

[Atallglassimdof]

I understand that this country needs immigration but if you import 100,000s of low skilled workers, in their 30s and 40s, how are they going to fund their retirement or pay for their housing?

It just seems counterintuitive to bring loads of people into this country who will need considerable financial support ( housing benefits, pension credits) when they are no longer able to work, and don’t have the means to support themselves.

Oh boy, the gammons are restless again. Do toddle off back to your hole, OP.

If you read the latest ons bulletin on international migration it appears that the trend since 2024 is now falling due to immigration rule changes which occurred in 2024
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/longterminternationalmigrationprovisional/yearendingdecember2024

I’m not sure what figures you’re looking at, but the ONS couldn’t be clearer that the increase in population is mainly due to net inward migration, not births being higher than deaths. That’s not a political position, just a statement of fact.

Care home workers and care workers are desperately needed

Who is going to do these jobs, like care home workers. My friend tragically ended up in one in her late 50’s this year on end of life care. The staff were all immigrants, and they all did an amazing job caring for my friend and were genuinely upset when she died. Where are the young people who are on unemployment benefit. You say pay more wages like it’s easy. These homes are huge, cost a fortune to keep going. You can’t just double the salary so lazy brits will work there. If these people end up staying in the UK they will be paying taxes and build up a state pension same as anyone. The country would grind to a halt without immigration. These are jobs with shortages.

Exactly. OP isn’t talking about that. There’s been a lot of changes to eligibility for many routes in the last couple of years, work and study. Universities are struggling as post grad routes restrictions on bringing dependants. We will see ongoing reductions, but the government clearly has to be careful with job shortages.

Those who think that repeatedly importing a population equivalent to a large city every year is a good thing, shouting down anyone who has concerns as racist, are going to have their arses handed to them at the next election by Reform.

I voted Labour at the last election (i regret it now), and would have laughed at you if you said I’d now be considering voting for a party like Reform… I don’t particular want to and there’s a lot I don’t like about them, but I’m beginning to feel there’s no alternative if this Government can’t get a grip on this.

We live in a capitalist society. Organisation and the elite are primarily concerned with their profit margins. Companies want cheap labour and people who they can exploit. Care companies like immigrants because they bully and exploit their workers easily.

If there was a path which supported care work visas, and we imported people to do this job to fill critical gaps, I wouldn’t have an issue with that, but that’s not what’s happening is it…. there obviously aren’t 700,000 care workers coming in on top of similar numbers in previous years (or any number remotely close to this).

I think the UK as a society needs to actually think about whether they want cares to have staff or not?

If the answer is yes, where should they live?

If you want the equivalent of “Foreign Domestic Workers“ visa class, vote Tory and accept that austerity is the price of having lower skilled workers easy to kick-out.

If you don’t want that then accept that you need an enormous housing and Infrastructure program that someone has to build.

We have a birth rate below replacement level.

I have two parents in their late eighties, who are cared for in a nursing home. God bless every single one of their care workers, regardless of where they come from. Anyone who wangs on about low skilled immigrants citing care workers has a/ never had to try and arrange care for a parent in poor health b/ no idea how difficult and skilled care work is and c/ never done the maths on who might care for them when their time comes. So much sneering OP - try a bit more humility and gratitude.

I literally started a thread on this last week. The lack of action in this area is going to bring in the most far-right party this country has ever had. We are sleep walking into a bloody nightmare and the current government are so hell bent on their clever, politically correct soundbites they have no idea the hell fire that’s simmering.

Why would an immigrant be getting
Housing benefit?

you guys just come on here and say anything

Do you know what? Thank god for those people who take care of our elderly and disabled for a shit wage. The population is living longer but not necessarily healthier so we need more workers in that sector. If they come from abroad because not enough people already living here will do it, so be it.

How many are international students? Given the very large amounts of money they bring into the economy, the huge number of good quality jobs they support at universities, and all the surrounding jobs (shops, taxis, bars, transport) they support - would you like to see those students go to the USA or Canada instead?

And you don't want care workers even though there is a huge gap in the workforce?

What sort of society do you imagine we'll have when you've shrunk our economy and made it impossible to recruit for the health service?

Where are the homes to house an extra 700k people every year? The school places for their children. The GP surgery capacity. The extra money for Universal Credit top-ups for minimum wage jobs. Extra money for child benefit. Extra hospital capacity. Extra money for pension obligations.
I doubt the extra tax take will cover even half of it and public services are crippled. I can’t remember a time when I’ve felt more worried about the economic state of this country.

^

Here's some figures from the ONS on the BBC website showing the breakdown including the numbers working in health and social care.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c89pvd58nd3o

Let’s hope you or a family member never has to go into a care home then. Who would look after you?

Who has to pay?
it gets funded through our taxes.
social care is the biggest expense councils have to meet.

care work isn't low skilled. it's just massively underpaid. What do you suggest? Paying it properly so the Brits will take it on? Leave care home unstaffed, or maybe get the disabled who choose to live on disability benefits rather than work take it up???

So we don't have them amd the current people in care homes suffer, is that your solution? And they may well return to their country of birth for retirement, who knows?

what are you talking about? ONS figures show 38% of pupils minority ethnic background - ie something different than white british. That means more than 61% are White British. Stop spreading misinformation.