'Earn £27,000 or no good for UK'

UK think tank says immigrants must earn £27,000 a year to make a positive lifetime contribution in Britain.

LONDON: In a controversial report, Migrationwatch, a think tank organisation in Britain has suggested that immigrants earning less than £27,000 per annum should not be allowed to settle in the UK as they do not make “a positive contribution.”

The group bases some of the its conclusions on data from the government’s Labour Force survey, which states that a worker must earn £27,000 a year to make a positive lifetime contribution, whether calculated by the tax paid or by the addition to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Sir Andrew Green, the chairman of Migrationwatch, said, “The social costs of the present massive levels of immigration far outweigh any possible benefit.” The report estimates that only one in five migrants reaches this stage bracket.

According to the report, immigration could only be seen as beneficial to the long-term growth of a country’s economy if it raises productivity, otherwise an increase in immigration only adds to the burden of a country’s infrastructure and public services.

It suggested that lowly skilled migrants could be allowed to work temporarily in the UK, in order to fill skill gaps while British workers are trained. But they should not be allowed to settle permanently in the country, it said.

Migrationwatch’s report seems to be contradictory to the government’s policy of welcoming migrants, particularly from Eastern European countries. It is also against the spirit of establishment of the new Commission on Integration and Cohesion, which has its specific aims to better integrate the UK’s large, multicultural population.

At the launch of the Commission, Ruth Kelly, the community and local government secretary said, “I believe that Britain’s diversity is a huge asset to our country — economically, culturally and socially.”

“Immigration has helped transform our economy, supporting growth and boosting productivity. London’s strength as a financial centre was driven by the acknowledgement across the developed world that Britain was open to new people, to new ideas and to new products.”

“Immigration has helped enrich our cultural life, with the capital’s diversity now commonly acknowledged to be one of its key attractions.”