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| New EU members add £5bn to UK says research | New EU members add £5bn to UK says research |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Immigrants from the 10 countries which joined the EU in 2004 contributed more to the UK than they took out in benefits, according to a new study. | Immigrants from the 10 countries which joined the EU in 2004 contributed more to the UK than they took out in benefits, according to a new study. |
| They added £4.96bn more in taxes in the years to 2011 than they took out in public services. | They added £4.96bn more in taxes in the years to 2011 than they took out in public services. |
| The report was published by University College London's Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration. | |
| Campaign group Migration Watch criticised the report for selective use of dates. | |
| The analysis includes migrants' share of all public services costs. | The analysis includes migrants' share of all public services costs. |
| It includes costs that increase when the population increases, such as health and education, and those that stay fixed, such as the armed forces and defence. | It includes costs that increase when the population increases, such as health and education, and those that stay fixed, such as the armed forces and defence. |
| If the fixed costs are excluded, the net benefit of immigration from countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic would more than double to £10.5bn. | If the fixed costs are excluded, the net benefit of immigration from countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic would more than double to £10.5bn. |
| The study also found that: | |
| Professor Christian Dustmann, co-author of the study, said: "A key concern in the public debate on migration is whether immigrants contribute their fair share to the tax and welfare systems. | Professor Christian Dustmann, co-author of the study, said: "A key concern in the public debate on migration is whether immigrants contribute their fair share to the tax and welfare systems. |
| "Our new analysis draws a positive picture of the overall fiscal contribution made by recent immigrant cohorts, particularly of immigrants arriving from the EU." | "Our new analysis draws a positive picture of the overall fiscal contribution made by recent immigrant cohorts, particularly of immigrants arriving from the EU." |
| He added: "European immigrants, particularly, both from the new accession countries and the rest of the European Union, make the most substantial contributions. | He added: "European immigrants, particularly, both from the new accession countries and the rest of the European Union, make the most substantial contributions. |
| "This is mainly down to their higher average labour market participation compared with natives and their lower receipt of welfare benefits." | "This is mainly down to their higher average labour market participation compared with natives and their lower receipt of welfare benefits." |
| Pressure on services | Pressure on services |
| Migration Watch chairman Sir Andrew Green told the BBC: "If you take all EU migration including those who arrived before 2001 what you find is this: you find by the end of the period they are making a negative contribution and increasingly so. | Migration Watch chairman Sir Andrew Green told the BBC: "If you take all EU migration including those who arrived before 2001 what you find is this: you find by the end of the period they are making a negative contribution and increasingly so. |
| "And the reason is that if you take a group of people while they're young fit and healthy they're not going to be very expensive, but if you take them over a longer period they will be." | "And the reason is that if you take a group of people while they're young fit and healthy they're not going to be very expensive, but if you take them over a longer period they will be." |
| He added: "This report confirms that immigration as a whole has cost up to £150bn in the last 17 years. | He added: "This report confirms that immigration as a whole has cost up to £150bn in the last 17 years. |
| "As for recent European migrants, even on their own figures - which we dispute - their contribution to the exchequer amounts to less than £1 a week per head of our population." | "As for recent European migrants, even on their own figures - which we dispute - their contribution to the exchequer amounts to less than £1 a week per head of our population." |
| What do you make of the study - does it change your view on immigration? The BBC News Channel will have a special Q&A session with home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw at 13.30 GMT. Send your questions by text to 61124 or by email to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. A live Q&A will continue on Twitter straight after. Join in by using the hashtag #AskBBCDanny. | |
| He said that people in the UK had to decide whether the extra pressure on schools, maternity units, and other services were worth an extra £1 a week. | He said that people in the UK had to decide whether the extra pressure on schools, maternity units, and other services were worth an extra £1 a week. |
| Immigration minister James Brokenshire said the report had taken "a very narrow focus". | |
| "It's not properly addressed the issues of the pressures of public services," he said. "There's things that I think rightly concern the public on access to schools, hospitals, roads, housing. | |
| "We do need a sustainable immigration system bringing it down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands because it is those pressures that we see." | |
| Political debate | |
| Shadow immigration minister David Hanson said: "This report shows that immigration since 2001 has contributed to the public finances as well as to the economy. | |
| "However, the impact of different kinds of immigration varies and the system needs to be fair - so we need stronger border controls to tackle illegal immigration and stronger action against employers who use immigration to undercut local wages and jobs, but we should welcome international university students who bring in billions." | |
| The report will fuel the current political debate over immigration. | The report will fuel the current political debate over immigration. |
| Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to renegotiate the terms of the UK's membership of the EU, before holding a referendum in 2017 on whether to leave, if he is re-elected in six month's time. | Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to renegotiate the terms of the UK's membership of the EU, before holding a referendum in 2017 on whether to leave, if he is re-elected in six month's time. |
| But the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has reportedly warned Mr Cameron that he was approaching the "point of no return" with proposals to restrict immigration. | But the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has reportedly warned Mr Cameron that he was approaching the "point of no return" with proposals to restrict immigration. |
| A spokesman for Mrs Merkel said this week that free movement of people in the EU was "not negotiable" for Germany. | A spokesman for Mrs Merkel said this week that free movement of people in the EU was "not negotiable" for Germany. |
| Are you an immigrant from one of the 10 countries which joined the EU in 2004? What is your reaction to the findings? You can share your experience and views by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you an immigrant from one of the 10 countries which joined the EU in 2004? What is your reaction to the findings? You can share your experience and views by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| If you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number. | If you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number. |
| Have your say | Have your say |