Immigration report
Tuesday, 01 Apr 2008 08:56
Immigration had "little or no" positive impact
Labour's claim that a high level of immigration is good for the UK has been cast into doubt by the publication of an influential Lords report.
The House of Lords economic affairs committee said there was "little or no" positive impact on living standards of the indigenous population because of immigration.
It said the argument a high level of immigration was needed to fill jobs was "fundamentally flawed" and had in actual fact had a negative effect on the job opportunities of young, low-skilled Britons.
Moreover, it warns of the impact on housing, jobs, pensions and public services.
The committee, which includes two former chancellors, backed the Conservatives' call for a cap on non-EU immigration.
The Conservatives, along with anti-immigration groups, have welcomed the report.
Ministers have sought to defuse the report's impact, insisting last night that every British citizen is £30 a year better off because of immigration.
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