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