10 myths about the UK's 'migrant crisis', debunked
1. Yes, immigration levels are high, but that's not a bad thing
Anestimated641,000 people immigrated to Britain in 2014, 284,000 of them for work, which is the highest ever annual figure. While the government puts a negative spin on this, the truth is that Britain's economy has started to grow again, which makes it attractive as a place to seek work - and bothrightandleftleaning think tanks say our growing economy needs them.
2. Immigrants aren't stealing your jobs
After borders in the EU were opened in the mid 2000s, many eastern Europeans did come to the UK in search of higher paid work than they could get at home.
However: recorded unemployment rates went down between 2003 - 2005, and recorded vacancy rates went up slightly.
Many of these people work in occupations such as catering, driving, and construction, where wages are often driven down, but Professor John Salt of UCL’s Migration Research Unit toldThe Independentthat "the econometric evidence suggests immigration doesn’t generally impact on the pay or employment rates of existing citizens".
A protester holds a sign during a march hoping to draw attention to claims of exploitation and discrimination of migrant workers, in Trafalgar Square on May 7, 2007 in London.
3. And they're not overburdening public services, either
Recent immigrants have made a net contribution of £20bn to the UK over the last ten years, according to a UCLstudy.
Foreign born people are much less likely to claim benefits or live in social housing since to qualify you need to have permanent residency in the UK - those on work visas, students and asylum seekers don't qualify. A report from theEquality and Human Rights Commissionfound that 90 per cent of public housing goes to people born in the country.
4. No, most immigrants aren't here illegally
The phrase 'illegal immigrant' is a contradiction in terms. Someone arriving in the UK could be a migrant from elsewhere within the EU, a migrant fleeing persecution or desperate poverty further afield, or a refugee from a conflict zone. Someone who is an 'asylum seeker' has every legal right to be in the country - they're waiting on a decision.
5. Yes, people do learn English
The majority of migrants in the UK already speak English when they arrive - the 2011 census showed that only 138,000 of the 7.5 million non-UK born residents in the country don't speak English, and many of those are thought to be older generation Asian women who never worked or lived outside their communities.
It was estimated in the census that 1.7 million can speak English very well, a further 1.6 million can speak fluently and 726,000 can get by in conversation but have difficulties with written English.
Since an English language test is now part of work visa conditions, this situation is likely to continue.
6. Europe and the UK definitely don't host more than their fair share of refugees
The opposite is true. Developing countries host over80 per centof the world's refugee population, and Turkey, which is home to 1.59million Syrians fleeing war at home, is the most stretched.
Germanyis currently home to 7.2million non-German residents - and theirmediais puzzled by how Britain is up in arms about a migration crisis.
7. No, relaxed laws don't lead to a an inundation of migrants
As in the highly published case ofVictor Spiresaufrom Romania, who landed at Luton airport on January 1st 2014 ready to start work and was greeted by two MPs, the scaremongering predictions once EU labour restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians were lifteddid not leadto an influx of migrants.
Overall, Bulgarians who did leave home went to Denmark and Germany, where wages are higher, or to Italy and Spain where there are already established communities.
8. Migrants do contribute to the UK economy since many can't even afford to send money to their families elsewhere
While everyone is entitled to use their earnings to support their loved ones, since the economic crisis hit in 2008 remittance to migrant workers' countries of origin has actually fallen as many people who work in the UK and have families elsewhere have to tighten the purse strings, according to theWorld Bank.
9. People's level of worry over immigrants is not related to how many immigrants there actually are
During the last electionimmigrationranked consistently high in voters' concerns, but it hadno bearingon where people live. In Wales, 20 per cent said it was their most pressing worry, and in the north-east, 19 per cent, although only one in 20 people living in these regions was born abroad.
10. Crime rates fall rather than rise in areas with concentrated migrant populations
The presence of immigrant communities has no bearing on levels of violent crime, and in some areas, a slight increase in property crime, according to LSEresearch.
In areas with eastern European communities, all crime rates have fallen.
“Immigrants are just like natives – if they have a good job and income they don’t commit crime," Brian Bell, a research fellow at LSE, said in a statement.