Immigration figures

[Qwertyipad]

The figures are going up by 40%. Am I the only one that wants a points system like Australia so we can protect low paid workers and fill are skill shortages.

I think the Brits in Spain will have to pay their way though with housing. Do they have to have private healthcare or make a contribution in Spain.

My issue is when immigrants get housed and jump the queue and it has happened in the past however much politicians pretend it hasn't or doesn't and they then don't work.

I think the Eastern Europeans do have a good work ethic and work very hard.

Spain has similar system to UK, where healthcare is free to residents at point of delivery

By the way what gives you the idea that migrants get housed ahead of British citizens? That's plain bollocks.

No it isn't Widow. Maybe not so much now but definitely in the past.

Certainly wasn't entitled to owt when I arrived 10 years ago. My home country would have paid me 3 months job seekers tops before I would have had to return. Private rental was/is norm for migrants.

Unless they are asylum seekers who of course have to be housed whilst their claim is being assessed because they are not allowed to work to sustain themselves. But that's a completely different thing to EU citizens exercising their right to free movement. And honestly, if you begrudge a refugee a roof over their head whilst they wait for a decision on their future whilst being banned from working, you're pretty nasty.

I'm all for having an informed debate about immigration, but the trouble is, the quality of the debate is so low at the moment.

Those who bang on about having a points-based system like Australia seem unaware that we already have a points based system for non-EU migrants, introduced by the last Labour government.

Those who complain about the so-called "open door" policy of the last labour government presumably don't realise that net migration has gone up, not down, under the coalition government.

And those who talk about immigrants jumping the queue for social housing are consistently unable to present any evidence for this, because it simply isn't true!

Let's have a debate about immigration, by all means, but let's talk about facts. Let's talk about the additional pressure that immigration puts on our public services. Let's talk about the impact that an influx of migrants has on those in our society who have few skills or qualifications. These are real issues. But let's also talk about the valuable skills that immigrants bring that keep our NHS afloat. Let's talk about the huge amount of export revenue that is generated by international students bringing their money to the UK. Let's talk about the numerous ways in which immigrants contribute to our economy and to our society. We need a debate, but it needs to be an informed and balanced one. I don't see that happening right now.

No I'm not nasty Widow and I agree with helping asylum seekers but I think the system has been abused by economic migrants over the years.

I know it is different for EU migrants.

snapespotions not only does the UK have a point system for non EU migrants, Australia also has a free movement agreement with NZ. There are people who can freely move to Australia without any restrictions or quotas. There are 4 million kiwis, and all of us can do it. Exactly like the EU basically.

People who bang on and on about following the Australian point system is very ill informed.

Hear hear Snapes.

Most of the people I hear talking about it are terribly ill informed. In fact I was at a xmas party last night and overheard someone talking. She couldn't name the current prime minister, wouldn't believe Gordon Brown was ever prime minister and thought that Ed Miliband shouldn't be PM because he looks shifty. Come May 2015, she can vote. The thought that someone so ill informed on current affairs yet can cast a vote that is equal to someone who is informed scares me.

alemci do you have any evidence for those alleged abuses? By which I don't mean links to lies published in the Express or Mail.

Re misinformation - the number of people who believe that marriage to a Brit gave me automatic citizenshi is staggering. They're normally quite horrified when you tell them that it doesn't even give you right of residence if the British spouse doesn't earn enough (and you're nonEU) and how many families are ripped apart by those rules.

from living in Greater London. I can see the changes where I live.

one of my mum's elderly relativeis in hospital and she went to visit. She couldn't help but notice he was the only Caucasian patient.

' She couldn't name the current prime minister, wouldn't believe Gordon Brown was ever prime minister and thought that Ed Miliband shouldn't be PM because he looks shifty.'

But she probably knows who Nigel Farage is. She's knows the important things.

alemci and how is the presence of "non-caucasian" people evidence for "economic migrants abusing the system".

Race is no indicator of nationality, nationality is no indicator of system abuse.

alemci and how is the presence of "non-caucasian" people evidence for "economic migrants abusing the system".

Well, quite.

one of my mum's elderly relativeis in hospital and she went to visit. She couldn't help but notice he was the only Caucasian patient

I think this is the most ignorant comment I have read in years, unbelievable!

The argument against EU immigration is ridiculous when you consider that there is a similar amount of British people living in other EU countries as there are EU immigrants in the UK, do you suggest that British people shouldn't be able to live and work in other EU countries?

If it makes you feel better I'm British and I cost the European country I live in a huge amount of money, would you prefer me to move back to the UK with my 2 small children and expect the state to house/feed/cloth/educate/provide healthcare for us (because I'd not be able to work as child care is so ridiculously expansive and my dirty foreign dp obviously wouldn't be welcome) I think Britain is better off with EU immigrants than me!

If there are new restrictions on immigration then many British people will loose their right to live in the European countries they call home and will have to return to the UK, this will probably break up families and the result will likely be thousands of families having to move back to the UK with and many of them will need huge amounts of support.

Greater London has been a fantastically varied, cosmopolitan, multicultural melting pot and meeting point for newcomers from all kinds of nations for centuries. It's what makes the capital such a world beating success. That there are a lot of black and brown faces in London should be no surprise to anyone.

Come on folks, don't feed the beast.....

oh dear I'm suddenly a beast. that's why Ukip is gaining support because you're not allowed to express an opinion on here unless it is extolling multi culturalism.

You were asked to back up your assertions of migrants exploring the system with evidence. You haven't done that.

I live in a diverse area, I have seen it change over the years. if you go to the local council estates most residents are not English. My mum worked in education and worked with new arrivals. she sometimes visited houses. the pupils used to tell her things.

Do you know if these houses are still council owned or have been bought to be let privately? Happens a lot.

My mum worked in education and worked with new arrivals. she sometimes visited houses. the pupils used to tell her things

This is the same mum who was shocked to see her elderly relative in a ward full of "non Cuacasians"