Pro-Migrant Group Makes ‘Bogus’ Claim 3 Million Brits Will Lose Jobs if Immigration Below 100,000

A leading pro-migrant think tank has been slammed for “bogus” claims that that 3 million Brits could be made unemployed if immigration is brought below 100,000.

The implication of the claim from Migration Matters, a cross-party group set up to highlight the “positives of migration”, is that five people will lose their job for each migrant denied entry into the UK.

This conclusion was reached by pointing out that over the past ten years migration has tended to be higher when unemployment is low, plotting two graphs showing a negative correlation.

Migration Watch UK, which campaigns for lower migration, said the observation was meaningless as it was “obvious” that fewer migrants would come to the UK when there were fewer job opportunities.

The think tank pointed out that Migration Matters had failed to explain how lower net migration can cause existing UK workers to become unemployed.

Migration Matters had got the “cause and effect” mixed up and not provided evidence for their assertions, claimed Migration Watch UK.

“Bogus arguments of this kind are deeply misleading and irresponsible,” commented Alp Mehmet, Vice Chairman of Migration Watch UK.

Migration Matters, however, contended that filling “skills gaps” with migrants protected the jobs of Brits.

Barbara Roche, chair of the Migration Matters Trust, commented: “Some of the people hit hardest by cutting migration to below 100,000 would be British workers.

“According to the Government’s own figures, in industries like hospitality, which have a higher proportion of migrant workers, seven out of 10 employees are Brits. These are the workers who will suffer if migration is cut.

“The case for immigration isn’t about abstract altruism but British self-interest. By plugging skills gaps in businesses, immigration safeguards the jobs of British workers in those firms.”

The Migration Matters Trust was formed by cross-party politicians, business executives and trade unionists in 2013. it is co-chaired by Labour ex-MP Barbara Roche, Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi and Liberal Democrat Lord Navnit Dholakia.

As of midday Thursday, the Migration Matters website and the report making the so-called “bogus” claims were down, and attempts at accessing the website met with an error message.