It’s time to separate EU migration fact from Brexit fantasy
by Kenan Malik, The Guardian,
25 Feb 2018
The government’s
failure to limit non-EU migration exposes the idiocy of its arbitrary cap
failure to limit non-EU migration exposes the idiocy of its arbitrary cap
The net
number of EU migrants coming to Britain has fallen to 90,000, and the number of
EU citizens who left Britain was up to 130,00. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
number of EU migrants coming to Britain has fallen to 90,000, and the number of
EU citizens who left Britain was up to 130,00. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
The net
number of EU migrants coming to Britain has fallen to 90,000. That of non-EU migrants has risen to
205,000. These are the main takeaways from the latest set of immigration
figures.
number of EU migrants coming to Britain has fallen to 90,000. That of non-EU migrants has risen to
205,000. These are the main takeaways from the latest set of immigration
figures.
The
number of EU citizens who left Britain was up to 130,000, the highest level
since the 2008 crash. This has led many to talk of “Brexodus”, though it is
unlikely to be just Brexit
that is leading to the outflow of EU citizens. Stronger economic growth in the
eurozone, for instance, may also be playing a part.
number of EU citizens who left Britain was up to 130,000, the highest level
since the 2008 crash. This has led many to talk of “Brexodus”, though it is
unlikely to be just Brexit
that is leading to the outflow of EU citizens. Stronger economic growth in the
eurozone, for instance, may also be playing a part.
Equally
significant is the figure for non-EU immigration to Britain. One of the
arguments of many Brexit leaders has been that leaving the EU and getting
control of Britain’s borders would allow for a drastic reduction in numbers and
enable the government to meet its stated aim of capping immigration at “tens of thousands”. This, suggested Boris Johnson at the time,
in the wake of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, was the only way to “spike the
guns of the extremists and the people who are genuinely anti-immigrant”.
significant is the figure for non-EU immigration to Britain. One of the
arguments of many Brexit leaders has been that leaving the EU and getting
control of Britain’s borders would allow for a drastic reduction in numbers and
enable the government to meet its stated aim of capping immigration at “tens of thousands”. This, suggested Boris Johnson at the time,
in the wake of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, was the only way to “spike the
guns of the extremists and the people who are genuinely anti-immigrant”.
But it
wasn’t and it won’t be. Throughout this century, immigration to Britain from
outside the EU has been higher than that from the EU. Being unable to limit EU
migrants, the government has striven particularly hard to reduce non-EU
numbers. So the failure to reduce these numbers is telling, revealing the
limitation in its control of migration. Even so, the idiocy of the government’s
arbitrary immigration cap is clear. Britain has hit the limit on visas for
skilled non-European workers for three months in a row, deepening the staffing
crisis in the NHS and elsewhere.
wasn’t and it won’t be. Throughout this century, immigration to Britain from
outside the EU has been higher than that from the EU. Being unable to limit EU
migrants, the government has striven particularly hard to reduce non-EU
numbers. So the failure to reduce these numbers is telling, revealing the
limitation in its control of migration. Even so, the idiocy of the government’s
arbitrary immigration cap is clear. Britain has hit the limit on visas for
skilled non-European workers for three months in a row, deepening the staffing
crisis in the NHS and elsewhere.
Promising
to limit immigration and failing to do so will only aggravate, not alleviate,
hostility to immigration. If we really want to “spike the guns of the
extremists”, we need not to make false claims about what “taking back control”
will achieve, but to challenge the myths about the impact of immigration.
to limit immigration and failing to do so will only aggravate, not alleviate,
hostility to immigration. If we really want to “spike the guns of the
extremists”, we need not to make false claims about what “taking back control”
will achieve, but to challenge the myths about the impact of immigration.
