Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Andrew's avatar

Conflation of net migration, included in the population, which picks up temporary churn over eg. international students who depart after studies* vs. much lower permanent (settler) migrants who become citizens or permanent.

*Because they depart they are ‘net financial contributors’ through increasing aggregate demand, some work, attract friends & family for visits, and pay £billions in fees and VAT; precludes tax increases.

However, focus on (undefined) ‘immigrants’ misses the elephant in the room, an ageing permanent population with more retirees/pensioners not paying much tax, living longer, increasingly tugging on budgets and services.

Exemplified by age dependency ratios increasing ie. more pensioners vs. static or fewer working age tax payers.

Presumably those arguing or voting against ‘immigrants’, students etc. are happy to pay higher taxes &/or have access to fewer services?

Expand full comment
Opus 6's avatar

Does it even make sense to measure the economic contributions of immigrants by the amount of tax they pay? If an immigrant is paid to dig a hole in the morning and fill it in again in the afternoon and pays taxes on his earnings, has he contributed to the economy? (Please don’t say this doesn’t happen – there are plenty of people in British industry who, because of poor management, are being paid to do pointless work.)

Expand full comment

No posts