Migration stats cause rift
THE LATEST migration figures have become a battleground for the coalition government, after Conservative minister Damian Green used the 20 per cent jump in net entrants to illustrate the need for a cap on migration.
Immigration minister Green said yesterday the figures “show why we must tighten our immigration system in order to reduce net migration to manageable levels”.
However, business secretary Vince Cable disputed the Conservative spin on the statistics, telling the Financial Times: “It’s very clear from the figures that the increase in recorded immigration has nothing to do with the number of non-EU work permits issued: they actually declined.”
Business bodies including the CBI and the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development have come out against a cap on the number of immigrants, claiming it will make the UK less competitive.