Legal News

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable has accused the Conservative Party of rewriting a report on immigration, because Conservative ministers felt it was too “propagandist” and “pro-Europe”.

The report has been rewritten twice and its publication has also been delayed twice – once in December before border restrictions were lifted on Bulgaria and Romania, a time at which there were fears that the UK would be subjected to mass immigration from those countries and the government introduced changes to access to welfare benefits for migrants.

The second occasion the report was delayed was just before the results of the European Parliamentary elections in May.

Although there was some dispute over the impact of “low-skilled” workers coming to the UK from overseas, the report said that the impact of immigration on the UK was largely beneficial.

However, the changes which the government made have led to Vince Cable accusing the Home Secretary Theresa May of being “propagandist”, according to The Telegraph.

A leaked copy of the report shows that it covers the impact of immigration on the UK since 2004, when New Labour first agreed to lift border restrictions on EU migrants coming to the UK to find work and settle.

The report particularly looks at the impact of migrants from former Eastern Bloc countries on the UK.

The report also found that the number of EU citizens living in the UK is comparable to the number of Britons living in EU member states – there are an estimated 2.3 million EU citizens living in Britain, compared with million Britons living in EU countries.

Although there is debate over the impact of low-skilled EU migrants on the UK, the report states:

“The impact of the labour market is considered across a range of different sectors, including manufacturing, engineering, legal services, agriculture, hospitality, financial service and health care; and with regards to highly skilled, low-skilled and regulated professions.

“The effects are viewed as largely positive, providing a wide range of skilled labour and opportunities for UK workers and their employers in other member states.”

Mr Cable said:

“We disagreed with the content – and thought it was propagandist rather than objective, which is why we went back to the drawing board. A study has now been produced that is balanced.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said:

“'We do not comment on leaked documents. The balance of competences report on free movement of persons will be published shortly.”

In March, it was reported that the document showed that migrants coming to the UK had taken fewer jobs from British workers than thought.

Home Secretary Theresa May had referred to figures from research by the Migration Advisory Committee which had suggested that for every 100 new migrants to the UK, 23 British workers were left unemployed.

However, research by civil servants uncovered by BBC programme Newsnight revealed that the rate of displacement for British workers in the UK jobs market was actually much lower.

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Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of immigration lawyers and can advise migrants to the UK on a range of legal matters, including right to work in the UK.

Duncan Lewis immigration lawyers are also a leading firm of Legal Aid solicitors and can advise on:

• Asylum & asylum appeals
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For expert legal advice on UK immigration law, contact Duncan Lewis immigration lawyers on 020 7923 4020.