It argues that, as a result, inflation rates and interest rates have been lower, skills shortages have been met and the economy has remained buoyant. It says current restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian workers should be relaxed, as the UK is well-placed, compared to other countries, to manage the consequences of mass migration.
Immigration has had no impact on unemployment, according to the report, which finds that, if there are any ‘losers’, it is the earlier generation of migrant workers.
“The Government has had a hard time over immigration, not because it has lost control of the issue, but because it has failed to tell a compelling story based on consistent, high quality information,” says David Coats, associate director of policy. “The official statistics are so haphazard that the Government finds it difficult to defend otherwise good policies.”
Earlier this month, a House of Lords Economic Committee argued that immigration has had little or no positive impact on the economy.