Although the UK has received immigrants for centuries, the country has traditionally been a net exporter of people: only from the mid-1980s did the UK become a country of net immigration. In the twenty-first century immigration is larger and more diverse than at any point in the country’s history. It is not therefore surprising that the issue has become so controversial. Does immigration put an unsustainable pressure on the UK population and its infrastructure, take jobs from British workers and drive down wages, as well as serving to erode British culture? Or are immigrants undertaking jobs that British workers refuse to do, filling skills shortages, boosting economic growth and the wellbeing of all British citizens, as well as bringing welcome cultural diversity? A good case can be made for either side of the argument; but all mainstream political parties agree that immigration into the UK must be managed — even if they disagree on how that might be achieved.
In our view, mass immigration at present levels generates unacceptable pressures on housing and public services; it also poses a threat to our environment, our quality of life and our social cohesion.
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