ON what basis does JE Bearby declare that migrants in this country “cost a great deal of revenue” (HAS, July 15)?

All the evidence is to the contrary. Immigrants contribute far more in tax than they take in benefits.

When discussing immigration, I think it is important to understand what “net migration” means.

It means the number coming to live in Britain for more than 12 months minus the number leaving to live abroad for more than 12 months. Last year, 526,000 people entered the country, and 314,000 left, giving a “net migration” figure of 212,000.

This does not mean, as Nigel Farage has claimed, that 526,000 people have “settled” in this country.

Some 177,000 of the 526,000 who came in were students.

Others were people on shortterm employment contracts, and some were British citizens returning home.

My daughter, for example, is one of these “statistics”.

After graduating from university, she worked in France for a year, then in Spain for two years. After that, she returned to the UK to study for a postgraduate degree, and then worked for two years in England. She will shortly start a new job in Spain.

Generally, the free movement of labour within the EU has been of benefit to all member states.

Pete Winstanley, Durham.