Britain's immigration surge boosts business, strains services
LONDON (AFP) — Britain's immigration surge has boosted the economy but left services feeling the strain, separate government reports said Wednesday.
Foreign-born workers now make up an eighth of the workforce and were believed to be more productive than British workers, said The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration report.
But a separate Home Office report looked at the impact of immigration from the eight eastern European countries which joined the European Union in 2004. It found concerns in every region over the impact of record immigration levels on crime, education, housing and health.
Britain has seen a massive wave of immigrants, notably from Poland, since the EU's 2004 expansion.
Immigration -- both legal and illegal -- and asylum has been a hot political topic in recent years, with critics branding the system "open-door" and "chaos".
The economic report found that migrants earned more per week than British workers on average -- 424 pounds compared to 325 pounds.
Record immigration had pushed the numbers of foreign workers up to 12.5 percent from 7.4 percent 10 years ago.
The report said the surge of foreign-born people into the workforce contributed six billion pounds to economic growth last year.
Some 574,000 migrants came to settle in Britain in the 12 months to June 2006, said the study.
The report highlighted problems with native British workers, saying they "sometimes proved unreliable in certain sectors," while employers praised migrants' willingness to work hard.
"In recent years migrants have made a more positive contribution to the public finances than native workers; have often been highly skilled and accordingly captured higher labour market rewards," the report said.
"They have very little discernible negative impact on labour market outcomes for native workers," it added.
The second report from the government's regional co-ordination groups, said migrants were putting pressure on the housing market and driving up rent, creating increased demand on doctors and contributing to community tensions.
In Scotland, north-west and south-west England such tensions were reported in areas that had not previously experienced a migration influx.
Regions noted there had been increases in low-level crime such as driving offences and anti-social behaviour.
Concerns were also raised about migrants becoming victims of unscrupulous gangmasters and landlords.
"All regions noted the economic benefits of recent migration, both directly and indirectly. They cited good attitudes to the work of migrants who were filling important skill gaps," the report said.
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne commented: "In the long run, our country and exchequer (treasury) is better off with immigration than without it.
"But alongside this there is evidence that the pace of change has been unsettling and has created challenges."
The main opposition Conservatives are calling for immigration from outside the EU to be controlled by an annual upper limit.
LONDON (AFP) — Britain's immigration surge has boosted the economy but left services feeling the strain, separate government reports said Wednesday.
Foreign-born workers now make up an eighth of the workforce and were believed to be more productive than British workers, said The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration report.
But a separate Home Office report looked at the impact of immigration from the eight eastern European countries which joined the European Union in 2004. It found concerns in every region over the impact of record immigration levels on crime, education, housing and health.
Britain has seen a massive wave of immigrants, notably from Poland, since the EU's 2004 expansion.
Immigration -- both legal and illegal -- and asylum has been a hot political topic in recent years, with critics branding the system "open-door" and "chaos".
The economic report found that migrants earned more per week than British workers on average -- 424 pounds compared to 325 pounds.
Record immigration had pushed the numbers of foreign workers up to 12.5 percent from 7.4 percent 10 years ago.
The report said the surge of foreign-born people into the workforce contributed six billion pounds to economic growth last year.
Some 574,000 migrants came to settle in Britain in the 12 months to June 2006, said the study.
The report highlighted problems with native British workers, saying they "sometimes proved unreliable in certain sectors," while employers praised migrants' willingness to work hard.
"In recent years migrants have made a more positive contribution to the public finances than native workers; have often been highly skilled and accordingly captured higher labour market rewards," the report said.
"They have very little discernible negative impact on labour market outcomes for native workers," it added.
The second report from the government's regional co-ordination groups, said migrants were putting pressure on the housing market and driving up rent, creating increased demand on doctors and contributing to community tensions.
In Scotland, north-west and south-west England such tensions were reported in areas that had not previously experienced a migration influx.
Regions noted there had been increases in low-level crime such as driving offences and anti-social behaviour.
Concerns were also raised about migrants becoming victims of unscrupulous gangmasters and landlords.
"All regions noted the economic benefits of recent migration, both directly and indirectly. They cited good attitudes to the work of migrants who were filling important skill gaps," the report said.
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne commented: "In the long run, our country and exchequer (treasury) is better off with immigration than without it.
"But alongside this there is evidence that the pace of change has been unsettling and has created challenges."
The main opposition Conservatives are calling for immigration from outside the EU to be controlled by an annual upper limit.
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