The Migration Observatory has
today published a report attacking the concept of a population target of 70
million and questioning whether it can be achieved.
They accept that immigration accounts for 68% of our population growth and that the latest official projection will take the UK’s population to 70 million in 15 years.
The government is now on
course for net migration of 100,000 a year. The only question,
given that the rules cannot be changed for those already here, is precisely
when it will be achieved. A further reduction to 50,000 would
depend on net EU migration coming back towards balance as it always has in the
past. This is perfectly possible in the medium term, given the fall
in the birth rate in many EU countries and the likelihood that some of the East
European economies will eventually improve.
Commenting, Sir Andrew Green,
Chairman, Migration Watch UK said “Yet again the Migration Observatory seem to
be beating the drum for the immigration industry. They cannot get it into
their heads that we are a democracy and that there is an overwhelming public
demand to reduce immigration. Net migration from 1990-96 averaged 39,000
a year before New Labour opened the floodgates (see graph). That is
roughly the level needed to hold our population below 70 million and it should
now become the objective of policy. It is a vital aiming mark”.