Press Releases

Financial Times claims for immigration fail to convince

In a paper issued today think-tank Migrationwatch examines claims made in an article in the Financial Times on 18 June that a cap on economic migration will raise taxes and cut growth.

The report points out that labour shortages are not the main constraint on growth in a period on high unemployment. Furthermore, less than 40% of immigrants to Britain arrive for the purpose of work.

Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch UK said: ‘In their enthusiasm for immigration, the Financial Times had clearly not thought through the claim that they were making’.

Supreme Court greatly widens the scope of the Refugee Convention

An analysis by our Honorary Legal Adviser, published today, shows how the recent ruling by the Supreme Court has extended the test for asylum claimed by a homosexual from "a well founded fear of persecution" to whether or not he has "a right to live freely and openly as a gay man" in his own country. This is a very long way from what the framers of the Convention intended.

Migrationwatch media comment on today's Supreme Court decision on gay applications

The following can be attributed to Sir Andrew Green, Migrationwatch chairman, if you wish.

'This could lead to a potentially massive expansion of asylum claims as it could apply to literally millions of people around the world. An applicant has now only to show that he (or she) is homosexual and intends to return and live openly in one of the many countries where it is illegal to be granted asylum in the UK.

'The judges are no doubt interpreting the letter of the international convention correctly but the consequences are potentially huge. The principle of asylum is, rightly, widely supported but it should be a matter of domestic law. It is high time that we reviewed our adherence to an international convention drawn up nearly 60 years ago in entirely different circumstances.'

See Briefing Paper No. 8.40

Migrationwatch media comment on immigration cap announcement

Migrationwatch welcomes the government's statement today on its intention to limit immigration in line with its election promise.

Special interest groups must understand the wider issues at stake and recognise the need to deal with immigration because of the large part it is playing in propelling our population to an unsustainable 70 million with the attendant pressures this will put on public services, our infrastructure, and of course the effect on community cohesion.

Said Migrationwatch spokesman Alp Mehmet: 'The Home Secretary is to be applauded. It is now for her to show she has the will and the courage to continue as she has started. I believe she has both.'

Briefing Paper

Homosexuals and Asylum

The decision of the Supreme Court on 7 July 2010 on this subject has attracted much attention from the media. This is a brief note on the subject which will be followed up by a more detailed paper after there has been time to study the Courtâ??s judgments in full.

Read the rest of this note at Briefing Paper No 8.40