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700,000 migrants want a job
Nicholas Cecil, Political Correspondent20.03.08
New figures showing more than 700,000 foreigners a year are seeking work in Britain raised fresh doubts over the Government's immigration controls.
The Tory analysis said the number of National Insurance numbers, which allow people to work, issued outnumbered by more than 100,000 the Government's immigration figures.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling also said that up to 16,000 immigrants came to work in some London boroughs in 2006/07. He said: "These figures are quite extraordinary. The system is either completely out of control or completely flawed."
Research by the House of Commons library showed that in total 713,540 NI numbers were given to non-nationals in 2006-07.
Mr Grayling said the official figure for the inflow of migrants to Britain in 2006 was 591,000. The Tory report showed that 16,160 foreigners were issued with National Insurance numbers in Newham in 2006-07, compared to a working age population of 165,900. In Brent, with a population of 183,600, more than 15,500 NI numbers were allocated, while in Ealing the figures were 14,300 out of a population of 208,300 and in Tower Hamlets 11,800 out of 148,900.
Ministers insist that a new pointsbased system, which will allow entry for highly-skilled workers, will help to tighten immigration controls.
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Reader views (8)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
The economy is in a mess and immigration may help it in the short term but some one else will have to pay for it or clear up the mess eventually.
- Martin Burgess, Cranbrook, England
The points based system only applies to non EU migrants! The issue here is the complete loss of immigration control in this country thanks to EU policy and our spineless politicians who signed us up to it.
- Steve, Hereford
Like Fraser I m amazed every time they try to blame the Tories for their failure. That was 11 years ago people! What's even more amazing is they just seem to get away with it all. For me the last straw was to ignore their promise of a referendum over Europe. They keep promising the same old things over and over again. Why also do they keep bringing out 10 year plans for things when the most they can stay in Government is 5 years? How about some 1 or 2 year plans instead?
- Duncan Walker, London, England
