Big increase in net migration to UK....

[Terpe]

Net UK migration increased to 212,000 in the year to September 2013, pushing it further away from the Conservatives' target of below 100,000, according to official estimates.

Source:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26367391

[bigmarco]

I think we can safely say that this government hasn't got a hope in hell of reaching it's target by 2015.

[Terpe]

That increase in migrations (58,000) is due mainly to arrivals from place like Poland, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Non-EEA migrants has dropped by 25,000 ........and we all know some reasons for that.

I'd support the view of Nigel Farage when he said it was “utterly pointless setting immigration targets when you can’t even decide who comes in to this country. Until we end the open door immigration policy with the EU and take back full control over our borders nothing can really be done.”

Not rocket science.

[fred]

Not rocket science.

In Brussels European parliament it is...

[Dedworth]

A joke we have no control of our own country - as Farage says just wait for a crisis in the Eurozone

[andy222]

Will you vote for him Ded? :wink:

[RickyR]

So which party set up this farcical system? Not the Tories....

Tory/Labour/LibDem-bashing is a joke because they are all exactly the same, anyone who believes any one of those three aren't doing some of the same things - but with a different spiel - is a fool.

The UK is destined to be further embraced into the EU with less democracy occurring in the process... Mass unskilled migration doesn't work.

[Dedworth]

Will you vote for him Ded? :wink:

Yes, I think I will Andy

[bigmarco]

So which party set up this farcical system? Not the Tories....

Tory/Labour/LibDem-bashing is a joke because they are all exactly the same, anyone who believes any one of those three aren't doing some of the same things - but with a different spiel - is a fool.

The UK is destined to be further embraced into the EU with less democracy occurring in the process... Mass unskilled migration doesn't work.

I don't think many will disagree with you which probably goes some way towards explaining the rise of UKIP.

[RickyR]

Quite scary because I think that UKIP have a great deal of faults, but perhaps the main parties need a wake up and UKIP could be the answer

[Iani]

Now don't forget, you can do a lot with stats, including make one set of figures back up two contrasting conclusions.

15 years ago, the so called "man on the street" wouldn't have given a stuff about migration within the EU, as he would be more concerned about people coming in from certain countries outside the EU, who had alien ideas to the existing culture, in some cases totally at odds with this culture. In other words, some German workers are hardly going to cause problems over here.

Of course, the politicians and right-ons in the "meejah" would scream raaacist at the man in the street for daring to express such opinions.

Now things are different and the flavour of the month on immigration seems to be people from poorer EU countries coming here due to the generous benefits system, and to boot these people aren't exactly welcome in their original countries (Romanians are delighted with who are leaving).

There are though a number of things which must be considered:

1. The government can't do a thing about EU migration. Not a single thing. The entire population of the EU could decide to come here, our systems would totally collapse, but we could do nothing.

2. The government can do things to limit non-EU migration, hence certain new restrictions on spouse visas for one, which we're all aware of on here.
Little footnote to this, I work with some pakistani guys, it is causing absolute havoc in their community, BUT they are finding ways around it. I can even think of a loophole you could drive a tank through, which really only that community could use, but I'm not saying to anyone in case it hasn't been widely thought of. I'll tell by pm if anyone is really interested, but it's not rocket science at all.
None of these guys have suggested that one to me, their ideas are buying into kebab shops and setting up businesses. Seems businesses are passing hands like library books. Anyway...

3. This is possibly the one many in the media are overlooking, but bizarrely Vince Cable has picked right up on it. Less people are leaving the UK. This is going to skew the governments targets.
Now there was a comment in the Daily Mail (sigh!) where someone suggested everyone leaving is so called British cultural, and everyone arriving is completely different, which would lead to Britain being a totally alien country in a few decades. This Mail reader suggested leaving for Canada like he did (He fails to see the irony here).
How do we know though who is leaving and who is coming in?
For all we know, those leaving could be entirely "kebab shop owners" who have made their money and are now buying mansions in Kashmir (This actually happens), or they could be Poles going back home to start families.
Those coming in could be Brits who emigrated to Australia, and have realised it's not the dream they thought it was, and Britain beats Australia for quality of life and social culture after all.

We just don't know

[grahamw48]

I agree it's not rocket science.

Of course those from poorer countries than ours (most of the EU) will come here looking for work and whatever other economic advantages there are to be had.

Remember also that 'seeking economic advantage' (or suspicion of doing so) is the main reason we and our loved ones from the Philippines have to jump through all the hoops and pay extortionate prices for visas.

There is so much unfairness with the current situation as far as WE are concerned.

Also, it may be fine and wonderful for all these EU migrants coming here to fill all the job vacancies, but what about OUR children. What about all our teenagers about to leave school or college ?
They are being deprived of their 'birthright'. Where are they going to live ? Will they feel obliged to leave THIS country, their home, to find work ?

Their parents and grandparents are being deprived of an NHS and other services that they paid into for maybe 50 years, and also being asked to put up with other overstretched services and infrastructure.

What have they done to deserve this ? Did they vote for this ?