Britain faces a population surge due to immigration, risking housing and services
London: It’s time for Britain to regain control over immigration.
I started working in the UK Immigration Department when the Immigration Act of 1971 began. For many years, net migration wasn’t a big deal.
Now, we need to act fast. If we don’t, we won’t have enough homes, hospitals, or schools.
Back then, we had a good balance. The number of people coming was similar to those leaving.
But now, Britain’s population is set to hit 72.5 million in seven years. That’s a jump of 4.9 million, mostly from immigration.
That number feels way too high to me. We can’t build enough homes or find enough staff to keep up.
People are asking how we can lower these numbers, especially those facing higher rents.
Looking at small boats crossing the English Channel won’t give us answers.
Only about ten percent of the population rise is from asylum seekers. We need to tackle the other 90 percent too.
In Whitehall, different departments argue about immigration. This has been happening for decades.
Illegal migrants are now warned about the dangers of coming to Britain on small boats.
Since the mid-1990s, I’ve seen how government attitudes shifted. More groups pushed for more workers and students from abroad.
In the 2000s, free movement from EU countries like Poland and Romania led to net migration over 300,000, sparking Brexit demands.
Leaving the EU was meant to reduce numbers, but they soared to 906,000 in 2023.
The Home Office feels like King Canute trying to stop the tide of immigration.
Home Secretaries face pressure from the Treasury, health sector, and others who want more migrants.
This powerful group has always won, no matter the government in charge.
Now, some economists argue that immigration isn’t boosting our economy as claimed.
High net migration hasn’t improved productivity or housing. Many newcomers don’t contribute more than they take.
For example, three Nigerian women came with care worker visas, but their families added to the burden.
It’s hard to see how that helps the economy. Yet, those who want more immigration dismiss the skeptics.
The last government tried to cut net migration to 728,000 by June 2024, but it’s still too high.
The new Labour Government has done well in deporting those without rights to stay.
However, they haven’t restricted the number of visas issued.
Reducing visas is crucial to prevent the population from reaching 72.5 million.
Do we really need so many overseas workers and students?
Research shows many UK graduates are overqualified for their jobs.
Also, nearly half of HR departments won’t hire anyone over 57. There are nine million people aged 16-64 not working.
That’s a lot of potential workers in Britain before looking abroad.
I’m not against all immigration. Some visa policies benefit the economy, especially for skilled jobs.
Many foreign-born entrepreneurs have significantly contributed to the UK economy.
Last year, the fertility rate in England and Wales hit a record low of 1.44 children per woman.
So, there’s some room for immigration, but not at this rate.
Politicians can’t dictate how many children women should have, but they can control visa numbers.
Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour government can lower those figures.
