The contribution of immigrants to the UK economy is "very slight indeed" and the main benefits are to the migrants themselves, a pressure group has said.
Migrationwatch UK says the economic benefit is equal to 4p a week for each person in Britain.
Its chairman Sir Andrew Green accused Whitehall of trying to divert attention from the problems caused by migration.
A Home Office spokesman said there was "a clear consensus" that migrants had helped the economy to grow.
But Migrationwatch said its figures showed immigration's benefit to the UK was far lower than claimed.
"What we have done is to look at the economic contribution of migrants, taken as a whole, taking the economy as a whole," Sir Andrew told BBC News.
"We find they certainly do add to production, but they also add in virtually the same proportion to population."
The benefit of mass migration to each individual member of society was "trivial", Sir Andrew added.
He said the main beneficiaries were the immigrants themselves, who were able to send home about £10m each day.
Migrationwatch reached its conclusion by comparing the proportion of the population who arrived as immigrants in 2005 with Treasury estimates for the proportion of GDP growth coming from immigration.
The difference between these figures, it said, amounted to a 4p gain for each person in the UK per week - or about £2.10 a year.
But Susan Anderson of the Confederation of British Industry said Migrationwatch was "seeking to score a few cheap political points".
"Migrants to the UK bring valuable skills and ideas with them and help to fill job vacancies where Britons are unable or unwilling to do so," she said.
"Their taxes help pay for our public services and our pensions, long after many migrants have returned home.
"Their presence also helps keep inflation low at a time when there are many forces pushing the other way."
'Impossibly complicated'
BBC economics editor Evan Davis said Migrationwatch was right to try to assess how immigration affected an individual's wealth, rather than relying on government figures relating to the overall size of the economy.
But he said neither the government nor Sir Andrew had tried to work out the overall economic effect of immigration, which would be "impossibly complicated".
Last December, the Ernst and Young Item Club, an influential economic forecasting body that uses Treasury models, estimated that immigration had brought in an extra £12bn to £18bn in tax since 1998.
Eastern European workers were reducing the UK's trade deficit by an extra £1bn every year, it said.
In the same month a fresh Bank of England analysis suggested the effect of new migrants was complex.
While they were highly-educated, they were also working in more low-skilled jobs, it said. Some of these migrants may also be replacing low-skilled UK workers in certain jobs, although more data was needed.
A spokesman for the Home Office said there was clear evidence of migration's benefits.
"Independent research has found migrants make a net contribution to the Exchequer," said a spokesman.
"We have seen a large movement of people from the EU coming here to work.
"There is a clear consensus from commentators, business and our own research that this has helped the economy to grow. There is no evidence that it has increased unemployment."
David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said the Migrationwatch figures sharply contrasted to those of the government.
"Immigration can be a real benefit to the country but only if it is properly controlled," he said.
"You need to have accurate information about its level and effects. The government patently has neither."
You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake
You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else
We are all part of the same compost heap
We are the all singing, all dancing, **** of the world
instead of bombing innocent people and tryin to jack their oil
uk can use it money wisely and help these people in their own countries, then they wont be comin over as immigrants, and they will be happy in their own countries doesnt that sound great
Jaa-Ro-Nee-Mo!!!
"they ask you when will the help of Allah (swt) come! Certainly Allah (Swt) help is always near"
instead of bombing innocent people and tryin to jack their oil
uk can use it money wisely and help these people in their own countries, then they wont be comin over as immigrants, and they will be happy in their own countries doesnt that sound great
We do help out our countries...but it is never enough to help prevent immigration
well i do believe that the total cost of the afghanistan, iraq genocides i mean wars could have most probably built a new country! every bomb costs like £100,000 and they drop them round like they sweets, so i do believe the uk could help foreign countries instead of bombin innocent countries along with their husband US & A
Jaa-Ro-Nee-Mo!!!
"they ask you when will the help of Allah (swt) come! Certainly Allah (Swt) help is always near"
Britain built an Empire and gained a huge wealth with the slave trade, we took people out of their place of birth and forced them to go to countries they did not want to go.
Why should we winge now when people want to come to our country. Like chacha_jalebi said we have bombed a lot of people out of their own country with our aggressive war mongering policies.
I remember when may Americans were saying stop these dirty jews from entering our country because they are all filth and poor. Now look, what happend 60-80 years later, Jewish people contribute to the economy. Discrimnation is a dirty buissness, and the people in England are exhibiting this against immigrants now, I suppose.
Britain built an Empire and gained a huge wealth with the slave trade, we took people out of their place of birth and forced them to go to countries they did not want to go.
Why should we winge now when people want to come to our country. Like chacha_jalebi said we have bombed a lot of people out of their own country with our aggressive war mongering policies.
Eastern European workers were reducing the UK's trade deficit by an extra £1bn every year, it said.
Almost all my friends and some family members were/are "reducing your trade deficit"
kind of sad story...so many have to leave. They have university degrees, which allow them to serve ice-creams in London.
Last edited by duskiness; 01-04-2007 at 01:12 PM.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
I watched a programme on channel 4 a while back called "100% English" It had several people who claimed to have full English heratiage, the funny thing was it was proven they actually wern't through DNA, one women got so upset she said she was gonna sue the show, another lady who was racists was left looking like an idiot, every one is an immigrant this is how humanity spreads.
Britain built an Empire and gained a huge wealth with the slave trade, we took people out of their place of birth and forced them to go to countries they did not want to go.
Why should we winge now when people want to come to our country. Like chacha_jalebi said we have bombed a lot of people out of their own country with our aggressive war mongering policies.
In the spirit of seeking peace on Earth
Eric
i live far from england...but still an excellent post.
Since when was Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Romania a country in crisis. So much money is being put into Africa by us. We're one of the biggest aiders if not THE biggest, but I see we still get these Africans coming in...
I like the Polish, I have alot Polish friends, and I love their women too. In fact they're much like us only they have a bit more respect. I don't blame them. I blame our government. One good thing I could take out of this is that it's definately boosting the Christian population dramatically without a doubt. I've had enough of people saying "this will an Islamic country in 50 years." Perhaps this is why the government is doing this?
Since when was Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Romania a country in crisis. So much money is being put into Africa by us. We're one of the biggest aiders if not THE biggest, but I see we still get these Africans coming in...
I like the Polish, I have alot Polish friends, and I love their women too. In fact they're much like us only they have a bit more respect. I don't blame them. I blame our government. One good thing I could take out of this is that it's definately boosting the Christian population dramatically without a doubt. I've had enough of people saying "this will an Islamic country in 50 years." Perhaps this is why the government is doing this?
U think the goverment care about Christian Morals, If they did there would be no UK involvement in iraq.
U think the goverment care about Christian Morals, If they did there would be no UK involvement in iraq.
Well they're dramatically boosting Christianity by the day whether they realise it or not. This year 600,000 Bulgarians and Romanians will be on their way which is another Christian country. :X
Britain built an Empire and gained a huge wealth with the slave trade, we took people out of their place of birth and forced them to go to countries they did not want to go.
Why should we winge now when people want to come to our country. Like chacha_jalebi said we have bombed a lot of people out of their own country with our aggressive war mongering policies.
In the spirit of seeking peace on Earth
Eric
Not much WE could do about it... sit back and watch :X
"Whoever lives amongst you will see much differing, so adhere to my Sunnah" Muhammad (صلّى الله عليه و سلم)
Well they're dramatically boosting Christianity by the day whether they realise it or not. This year 600,000 Bulgarians and Romanians will be on their way which is another Christian country. :X
People will still be binge drinking ect aint gonna make a diffrence, and remember just beacuse someone holds the title of a religion doesn't mean anything it's wheather they practice or not that makes a diffrence.
People will still be binge drinking ect aint gonna make a diffrence, and remember just beacuse someone holds the title of a religion doesn't mean anything it's wheather they practice or not that makes a diffrence.
I hope it does remain as it is. Binge drinking? So what? I'm happy with my way of life and they are no danger to it. In fact I have known alot of them to love the English which is why I like the Polish.
not all of the benefits of immigration can be measured in economics... what about culture, values, language diversity and things like that? and i do not think just because a group says that immigrants are not contributing makes it so... people say mexicans "steal all the good jobs" in the united states but that is not true...
not all of the benefits of immigration can be measured in economics... what about culture, values, language diversity and things like that? and i do not think just because a group says that immigrants are not contributing makes it so... people say mexicans "steal all the good jobs" in the united states but that is not true...
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Interestin'....but what can we do bout dis??doesnt that sound great
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