I AGREE with Bobby Meynell (HAS, May 29) that people should be free to “raise their genuine and valid worries” about immigration without “fear of unjustly being labelled with one or another kind of “...ism”.”

I do not accuse Mr Meynell of racism, or any other kind of “...ism”, but I think he is mistaken in believing that immigration is a “major cause” of the problems he outlines.

The main cause of these problems is the current global recession. The boom and bust cycle is the inevitable consequence of an export-led global economy dominated by powerful transnational corporations which seek to maximise profits by driving down wages. This creates unemployment in rich countries, and perpetuates poverty and abysmal working conditions in poor countries.

Unsurprisingly, workers from poor countries often seek employment in richer countries where they can earn so much more than they can at home.

In prosperous times, it seems that rich countries willingly buy cheap goods from Third World sweatshops, employ low-paid migrant workers and actively recruit foreigners to fill skills shortages; but when times are hard, those same workers become the scapegoats.

Pete Winstanley, Durham.