Migration - Poles call for return
WORKERS, SEPT 2006 ISSUE
In 2001, 50,000 British citizens emigrated. Last year the figure was 120,000. Also last year, 340,000 people moved into the country.
In the past two years, there have been 500,000 immigrants from Eastern Europe, mainly Poland, the largest wave of immigration Britain has ever experienced, which, as employers crow, keeps wages down.
But the Polish city of Wroclaw is to launch a campaign in London to try to persuade Polish migrants to return. Pawel Romaszkan, the head of the Wroclaw's promotion office said, "We want to tell them that in Wroclaw they have a future in Poland, and a career that is far better than working in a bar." If the campaign is successful it will be extended to the rest of Britain.
Meanwhile, the Royal Economic Society has called for the importing of 10 million migrants over the next 20 years to resolve Britain's supposed pensions crisis.
The overall number of people in work in the UK is 29 million, its highest level ever, with an estimated 8 million 'economical inactive' – unemployed, with disability, carers, unemployable etc. It is estimated that of the 1.7 million jobs which have expanded the total workforce in the UK during the last 10 years, 1.3 million are migrant workers.
The RES argument that Britain needs 10 million more workers beggars the last 10 years' growth and changes in UK work. The RES also wants the retirement age to be raised to 70 years immediately. The basis for these arguments is the claim that Britain has an ageing population whose pensions cannot be sustained unless we work longer.
Twenty years ago the argument was that a declining birth-rate would create a demographic time bomb. Due to a future shortage of workers, they would have to work longer. The integrity of these arguments has as much validity as holding your finger up to see which way the wind blows.