THERE has been much discussion generated by the University College London immigration study which said immigrants made a positive contribution to the UK’s fiscal system.
Ukip has never said that immigration is simply a drain on our benefit system.
Many immigrants have a very positive effect on our society and economy and this has been the case for hundreds of years; it has no relation to the EU. We are the only party proposing an Australian style points-based immigration system that will accentuate the benefits to Britain while reducing any negative impact.
This study doesn’t show what wealth our people could have generated if they weren’t subjected to wage-reducing, employment-displacing mass immigration from the EU. Nor does it truly take into account the opportunity costs to the UK of substituting sections of Britain’s workforce with migrant labour.
I disagree with the discrimination of our current system which favours Europeans over people from the rest of the globe. A fair and ethical immigration policy should be based on merit and need – not race and which country you were born in.
Jonathan Arnott MEP UKIP, North East
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