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Government urged to publish report suggesting British workforce is not losing out to migrant workers (5 March 2014)

Date: 05/03/2014
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Government urged to publish report suggesting British workforce is not losing out to migrant workers

The government is being accused of withholding a report which shows that the number of British-born workers “displaced” by workers from other countries is not as high as some people may believe.

Britons losing out in the jobs market to overseas workers – who are often willing to work longer hours for less pay – is often seized upon by some politicians as one reason for limiting immigration.

However, a cross-governmental report has revealed that the number of British workers displaced by workers from overseas falls well below the figure of 23 out of every hundred workers which is often used in support of limiting migrants.

Home Secretary Theresa May has in the past cited statistics from 2012 by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which concluded that “for every additional 100 immigrants… 23 British workers would not be employed”. The Migration Advisory Committee comprises independent academics.

The new analysis of the impact of immigration on British workers was carried out by civil servants, BBC News reports.

However, the Home Office has responded by saying that the additional research building on the MAC’s figures may reflect a bias towards immigration by some officials at the Treasury, Foreign Office and business departments.

Immigration has recently been cited as the second most pressing concern of the British electorate after the economy in the forthcoming European elections and the 2015 General Election. Policies on immigration – and the Conservative party’s moves to cap EU immigration and limit access to benefits – are becoming the focus for all three main political parties as well as UKIP.

BBC News reports that the new research which casts doubt on the previous figures has been checked by independent academics – and approved by government departments which have an influence on immigration policy.

Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs are now calling for the new report into the impact of immigration on British workers to be published as soon as possible.

Liberal Democrat MP Julian Huppert said:
"We have to have the right figures, so we can make the right decisions, so that we get the best people here to help our economy.
“It's obvious that this report should be published as quickly as possible.”
On Wednesday (05/03/14) the Immigration Bill returns to the House of Lords at the Committee Stage, during which the Bill can be examined in detail.
The Lords are expected to discuss issues such as the assessment of the financial circumstances of individuals seeking to enter or remain in the UK – as well as considering changes to government proposals to extend NHS charges, according to immigration status.

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