RIGHT across Europe migration is becoming the top political priority.
While, here in the UK, we struggle to deal with illegal crossings in small boats, it’s legal migrants who are now grabbing the headlines.
They account for 95 per cent of all incomers, driving problems ranging from housing shortages to rationed public services, wage compression and loss of community cohesion.
The figures are shocking.
Net migration to June 2022 was 607,000.
This week we learnt that this year’s figure was 672,000.
That unprecedented figure triples the number who entered before Brexit, ironic considering the vote to take back control of our borders.
And, extrapolated into the future, it would see 18 new cities the size of Birmingham, or an overall population of 83 million by 2046.
This is totally unacceptable and unsustainable.
In a statement, Migration Watch UK, an independent and non-political body established in 2001 to monitor the issue, said: “The public can only be ignored for so long before they make their feelings known,” adding “The British people have been utterly betrayed.”
Engulfed in this mess, the Government is frantically examining policy changes.
They include visa caps for overseas NHS workers’ and students’ dependants.
In addition, the minimum salary requirement for incoming skilled workers is due to be raised from the current £26,000 to at least the median £35,000.
That, incidentally, was one of many suggestions from former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who paid the price for repeatedly sounding the alarm.
She’s not alone.
New polls show that two thirds of Britons are “concerned” by the scale of population change, while 52 per cent want immigration frozen.
The public are making their feelings known and we politicians must not only start listening, but act.