Blunkett puts no limit on legal immigration
David Blunkett has indicated there is no limit to the number of legal immigrants that the UK can absorb.
Referring to the notion that the UK is a crowded country, David Blunkett pointed out that Britain has always been a ‘crowded, vigorous island’, and said he could imagine no maximum limit to the population.
The home secretary was talking on the BBC’s Newsnight yesterday, explaining why the Government is promoting legal migration for skilled workers. He promised that present levels are sustainable, and claimed that immigrants can be net contributors to public funds.
A new government website is to be launched this year to help more businesses apply for permits to bring in foreign workers. This is partly to deal with skills shortages in specific sectors, but also reflects the need for more workers as the population ages.
In a recent speech Mr Blunkett claimed that legal migration brings economic benefits, and noted that ten per cent of the UK’s GDP comes from the eight per cent of the population made up of immigrants.
Restating his commitment to cut the number of illegal migrants entering the country, Mr Blunkett said he was involved in a balancing act. He also suggested that present levels of legal migration are sustainable although this view has been attacked by the anti immigration group Migration Watch.
The home secretary explained that there is a net immigration level of 172,000 people per year, before being asked if there is a limit to the level of immigration that the country can accept. He responded by claiming there is ‘no obvious limit’, and that as long as there is a net economic benefit, the country can sustain greater inflows.
Migration Watch attacked this position, claiming that the figures mean there will be an extra two million people in the country within ten years. They elaborated by pointing out that the UK is more crowded than France, Germany or the USA.
