Migrationwatch response to the Prime Minister's speech on immigration April 27

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April 27, 2004

Like the Prime Minister we support managed migration. The problem is that the current situation could in no way be described as managed. Foreigners are not recorded in and out of Britain and only one in five of failed asylum seekers are removed. But he has avoided the main point.

Legal immigration is at an historic high. It has doubled to a quarter of a million under his Government. Even allowing for the 90,000 British people who are leaving every year, our population - on the Government's own figures - will increase by 5.6m in the next three decades.

That is five times the population of Birmingham. People want to know what is the point of all this and what its effects will be on our society.