I
I
inbetween
Guest
At the end of the day that demand has been created as a result of stupid decisions which is sort of what I actually meant.I wouldn’t say successive Govts have mismanaged immigration. The numbers that come here do so because there are jobs to be filled. It is supply and demand.
Brexit was always going to increase immigration because being in the EU allowed us to draw upon a larger labour pool that retains the ability to move back and forth without impediment. Additionally, once you close off that flexible labour pool and erect barriers to movement you incentivise immigrants to stay.
Railing against immigration or vowing to reduce numbers is akin to trying to prove the earth is flat. The numbers will always reflect demand and need. Trying to artificially suppress the numbers will lead to labour shortages and further depress the economy. The quickest ‘fix’ to reducing numbers would be to remove overseas students from the figures. Alternatively, we can damage the educational sector and encourage overseas students to go elsewhere and we should never underestimate the British desire for self-harm :)
Stupid decision 1 was removing our access to a free labour market in Europe (Brexit). Stupid decision 2 has been disintegrating our education, health and support services to the degree that it seemingly cannot produce nor maintain enough skilled people.
There are 9m people in the UK who are either sick or don't want to work for whatever reason and often this is simply because those people can't get the help that they need. Instead of fixing that system we're instead choosing to sustain it by just replacing those people with immigrants. They're being forgotten in the name of growth and GDP.