'Immigrants putting strain on Britain'
Record levels of immigrants are putting too much strain on British public services and the government has overstated their positive economic impact, a parliamentary report said Tuesday.
The inquiry by a House of Lords committee including two former finance ministers concluded that a surge in immigration since the post-2004 expansion of the European Union had led to "little or no impact" on economic well-being.
It called for caps to be set on the number of people allowed to enter Britain, saying some groups -- the low-paid, some ethnic minorities and young people looking for their first job -- may have suffered due to competition from immigrants.
Ministers should set an "explicit target range" for immigration and rules to keep within that limit, the report said.
Comments