Migrants in Britain - the official verdict

rg1 · Post by **rg1** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:45 am

full story here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 673795.ece

Migrants are more reliable and harder working than British-born workers and are boosting economic output by Â£6 billion a year, according to a government study published yesterday.

Immigrants have a better work ethic than the British and are willing to work longer hours with less time off sick. Weekly mean earnings of migrants are also Â£60 higher than their UK counterparts.

But while large numbers of migrants bring overall economic benefits, their arrival may be hitting the wage levels of the unskilled, the study found.

However, a separate Home Office report issued last night found concerns in the regions over the impact of record levels of immigration on crime, education, housing and health. Half the areas consulted said migrants were putting pressure on private accommodation, leading to higher rents.

Other areas said that migrants were increasing the caseloads of GPs and increasing low-level crime and antisocial behaviour.

Liam Byrne, the Immigration Minister, welcomed the economic contribution of migrants but admitted that the scale of change had unsettled parts of the country.

He said: â€œIn the long run, our country and Exchequer is better off with immigration rather than without it . . . But alongside this there is evidence that the pace of change has been unsettling and has created challenges.â€

OL7MAX · Post by **OL7MAX** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:21 pm

Good link, thanks.

>> Immigrants have a better work ethic than the British and are willing to work longer hours with less time off sick
>> while large numbers of migrants bring overall economic benefits, their arrival may be hitting the wage levels of the unskilled
>> migrants were putting pressure on private accommodation, leading to higher rents
>> Other areas said that migrants were increasing the caseloads of GPs

No kidding!

It's amazing how many statements of the obvious you can get if you throw a few million quid on some research. <---- There's one for free.

Post by **Administrator** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:45 pm

.

Similar article recently at the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7035441.stm
Migrants 'have better work ethic'
Last Updated: Tuesday, 9 October 2007, 11:50 GMT 12:50 UK

Other interesting articles out recently on this and related themes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7049736.stm
MPs warning about 'worker vacuum'
Last Updated: Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 23:43 GMT 00:43 UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7047610.stm
Migrants 'one eighth of workers'
Last Updated: Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 03:05 GMT 04:05 UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7017525.stm
Rate of immigration 'set to rise'
Last Updated: Friday, 28 September 2007, 15:28 GMT 16:28 UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7048205.stm
Migration 'causes pressure in UK'
Last Updated: Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 09:22 GMT 10:22 UK

the Admin

Shan12 · Post by **Shan12** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:23 pm

I think what annoys me the most is the claim that we put pressure on their public services. They seem to conveniently forget that we pay for the services (with our council tax and various other taxes) we use. So, who is really putting pressure on these services?? they should be looking at their own dole seekers!

OL7MAX · Post by **OL7MAX** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:13 am

That's true but some would argue that there are illegal immigrants whose net financial contribution may or may not be positive.

However, IMHO, there is pressure on services because of lack of planning, not because of migration or the huge numbers of benefit scroungers.

The pathetic NAO can't work out the current rate of inflation, what hope has anyone got of getting accurate immigration figures? And without halfway accurate immigration figures how can there be any planning for the quantity of housing, GPs and their geographic spread or water company "drawings" from national reservoirs?

It's always easiest to just blame the immigrants, isn't it? At least they recognise that we're harder working, have better work ethic, are more conscientious about our work, and cheat less (claiming sickies) than the "natives"

Shan12 · Post by **Shan12** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:27 am

Do you know that I have not had 1 sick day off in the last 4 years. Something they would never understand.

avjones · Post by **avjones** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:57 am

I have had no sick time off in the last 4 years either - I did take some time off when I was giving birth though!

olisun · Post by **olisun** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:54 am

Shan12 wrote:Do you know that I have not had 1 sick day off in the last 4 years. Something they would never understand.

You will once your get your ILR / BC...

jes2jes · Post by **jes2jes** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:21 pm

olisun wrote:
Shan12 wrote:Do you know that I have not had 1 sick day off in the last 4 years. Something they would never understand.
You will once your get your ILR / BC...

Yeah right!

thirdwave · Post by **thirdwave** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:57 pm

olisun wrote:
Shan12 wrote:Do you know that I have not had 1 sick day off in the last 4 years. Something they would never understand.
You will once your get your ILR / BC...

Just the other week, I was really ill on Friday but still went to work...And no, its not because I`m not a BC..Its to do with a long forgotten concept called conscience

( Its bad enough being non-white, I don`t want to be branded a skiver as well

)

thirdwave · Post by **thirdwave** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:29 pm

Shan12 wrote:I think what annoys me the most is the claim that we put pressure on their public services. They seem to conveniently forget that we pay for the services (with our council tax and various other taxes) we use. So, who is really putting pressure on these services?? they should be looking at their own dole seekers!

This country needs to take a leaf out of Pres Clinton's book & adopt a 'welfare to work' program, which helped cut the number of benefit recepients dramatically in the US. More should be done to get the 9 million or so economically 'inactive' natives off their backsides & address the issue of unbridled immigration from Eastern Europe, which is making the problem worse by masking it..The Sh*t would really hit the fan when many of these 'hardworking' newcomers qualify for benefits & work out that actually going on the dole is about as good as earning the minimum wage, when you take housing benefits, NI contributions etc into account. Apparently, a Polish Newspaper in London recently ran a multi page supplement, advising its readers on how to play the British benefit system to maximum advantage..a sort of 'The Dole system for Dummies'

I feel bitter about the fact that the govt chooses to focus on non EU immigration by adopting the points based system etc, whilst conveniently ignoring the big elephant in the room i.e low skilled immigrants from New Europe. Their presence might benefit the economy in the short term, while they are young & willing to work, but the stresses on public services are already telling & are bound to get worse once many settle down, have families, claim benefits (oops..sorry..tax credits). Social housing would be the worst hit as most of these people on the minimum wage do not have a hope in hell of renting a decent enough place to lodge their families, let alone get on the property ladder.

I feel the points based system is a step in the right direction but it should be expanded in order to include unskilled migrants from Eastern Europe & elsewhere as well.I have nothing against skilled & highly skilled migrants who I feel will benefit the economy in the long term & will pay enough taxes to cover the strain placed on public services.Austria is talking about capping the number of German students enrolling in their universities so why can't Britain place similar restrictions on unskilled migrants? I am tired of paying the bulk of my salary in taxes in order to bankroll this country of freeloaders, native or otherwise...

OL7MAX · Post by **OL7MAX** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:32 pm

I've found immigrants easier to work with. Except that I've spent the last half hour on an entirely unproductive activity: resolving a conflict between two immigrants. If I can get my Polish gardener and Punjabi cleaning lady to communicate directly without me or my wife translating I could leave them to sort out their own differences! Bloody foreigners!

thirdwave · Post by **thirdwave** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:34 pm

OL7MAX wrote:I've found immigrants easier to work with. Except that I've spent the last half hour on an entirely unproductive activity: resolving a conflict between two immigrants. If I can get my Polish gardener and Punjabi cleaning lady to communicate directly without me or my wife translating I could leave them to sort out their own differences! Bloody foreigners!

Hmm..Polish gardener & Punjabi cleaning lady..lemme guess where you live..Ealing??

sammie121 · Post by **sammie121** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:44 pm

My experience of immigrants(within the work place) are mostly good but i can't help but feel some try too hard too please and buy their way a little bit too much, and some females tend to use other ways to please!!! this is only from my own experiences and in no way reflects all immigrants.

OL7MAX · Post by **OL7MAX** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:55 pm

Ealing??

Call us odd but we illegal immigrants prefer to not disclose where we live

and some females tend to use other ways to please

So, are you going to share the phone number of the recruitment agency you use?

thirdwave · Post by **thirdwave** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:08 pm

OL7MAX wrote:
Ealing??
Call us odd but we illegal immigrants prefer to not disclose where we live

Darn..& I was hoping to send the BIA around

EdgeHillMole · Post by **EdgeHillMole** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:24 pm

thirdwave wrote:I feel the points based system is a step in the right direction but it should be expanded in order to include unskilled migrants from Eastern Europe & elsewhere as well.

Currently, the UK can't do that.

All nationals of EU member states have freedom to work and live in the UK without restriction. This includes for any new EU accession states, after that new accession state's transitional period into the EU ends.

Therefore, the UK cannot require any EU nationals to satisfy a points' test, learn the English language, prove that they are not a murderer or rapist or prove that they don't/won't have recourse to public funds.

Not sure what is meant here by "elsewhere". I had thought the new PBS was to apply to all workers from non-EU countries?

thirdwave wrote:I feel bitter about the fact that the govt chooses to focus on non EU immigration by adopting the points based system etc, whilst conveniently ignoring the big elephant in the room i.e low skilled immigrants from New Europe.

The government may be ignoring the huge elephant in the room, but their voting constituencies see it. Time will tell.

Shan12 · Post by **Shan12** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:41 pm

olisun wrote:
Shan12 wrote:Do you know that I have not had 1 sick day off in the last 4 years. Something they would never understand.
You will once your get your ILR / BC...

I'd feel too guilty.. besides, I have my own business, so I don't really have an option...rain, sun, snow or wind... and unless I'm on my deathbed... I'll be at work.. Where is the brick wall that I can bang my head on????

magata · Post by **magata** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:51 pm

Shan12 wrote:
Do you know that I have not had 1 sick day off in the last 4 years. Something they would never understand.

You will once your get your ILR / BC...

I'd feel too guilty.. besides, I have my own business, so I don't really have an option...rain, sun, snow or wind... and unless I'm on my deathbed... I'll be at work.. Where is the brick wall that I can bang my head on????

That's correct

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Migrants in Britain - the official verdict

Migrants in Britain - the official verdict