Migrants aren't hurting us then?

I think it's a shame that the sister report on the impact on services etc wasn't timed to come out at the same time. Economics need to be balanced with social impact - not anecdotal social impact but a thorough analysis of the real social impact of EU migration.

MK makes some valid points though in any system there will be those that abuse it like there are British people that commit crimes abroad (when I lived in Thailand for a bit I visited lots of Brit prisoners in the Bangkok Hilton didn't mean that they were reflective if the expat community).

All the data I have seen shows that migrants are less likely to commit crimes or milk the benefit system than the natives but when they are indisputably doing either we need clear mechanisms for dealing with this that are both effective and speedy.

 

"People can come up with statistics to prove anything, 90 percent of people know that."

Homer Simpson

 

Pretty much all independent research work points to the economic benefits of migration. It's just when politicians and the media try to spin the facts that things get blurred.

 

You can treat all humans the same.

So just do it.

Don't try and toss around with statistics because it will get you nowhere. Just stick with the original idea.

Treat everyone the same.

Otherwise you will end up tending not to.

Today's statistics in The Times:

78.1% of foreign born Poles in work
30.5% of foreign born Bangladeshis in work

Those kind of figures tend to lead people to colour their views.

Till maybe they understand that our great indigenous are far more adept at claiming benefits than your average migrant

So it is not the greatest idea to quote an isolated statistic.