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| Migrationwatch has supported the principle of asylum from the outset<ref></ref>but has been strongly critical of the government failure to remove many of those whose claims are rejected.<ref></ref> It is strongly opposed to an amnesty.<ref></ref> | Migrationwatch has supported the principle of asylum from the outset<ref></ref>but has been strongly critical of the government failure to remove many of those whose claims are rejected.<ref></ref> It is strongly opposed to an amnesty.<ref></ref> | ||
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| Academic Tony Kushner has argued that "it has been possible to couch the campaign against asylum-seekers in a discourse of morality: the need to protect 'our' people and culture against the diseased and dangerous alien, as well as the distinction drawn between helping the genuine refugee and exposing the bogus asylum-seeker", and cites MigrationWatch as part of this campaign. He argues that the group "has constructed for itself a spurious statistical rationale".<ref name="Kushner">{{cite journal|last=Kushner|first=Tony|date=2003|title=Meaning nothing but good: Ethics, history and asylum-seeker phobia in Britain|journal=Patterns of Prejudice|volume=37|issue=3|pages=257–276|doi=10.1080/00313220307593}}</ref> | Academic{{clarify}} Tony Kushner has argued that "it has been possible to couch the campaign against asylum-seekers in a discourse of morality: the need to protect 'our' people and culture against the diseased and dangerous alien, as well as the distinction drawn between helping the genuine refugee and exposing the bogus asylum-seeker", and cites MigrationWatch as part of this campaign. He argues that the group "has constructed for itself a spurious statistical rationale".<ref name="Kushner">{{cite journal|last=Kushner|first=Tony|date=2003|title=Meaning nothing but good: Ethics, history and asylum-seeker phobia in Britain|journal=Patterns of Prejudice|volume=37|issue=3|pages=257–276|doi=10.1080/00313220307593}}</ref> | ||
| ==Economy== | ==Economy== | ||
Revision as of 14:16, 8 November 2009
MigrationWatch UK is a British organisation which describes itself as an independent, non-political think-tank, although various commentators and academics have characterised it as a right-wing lobby or pressure group. Its website contains a range of articles on the statistical, legal economic and historical aspects of migration. The European Union, housing, health and social cohesion are also covered.
It is chaired by Sir Andrew Green, a former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. David Coleman, Professor of Demography at Oxford University, is an Honorary Consultant.
History
The organisation was founded in December 2001 by Sir Andrew Green, a retired Diplomat who served as Ambassador in Syria and Saudi Arabia. David Coleman, Professor of Demography at Oxford University is an Honorary Consultant and there is a ten-member Advisory Council.
Immigration Numbers
Migrationwatch first came to public attention in August, 2002 when it claimed that immigration, including an estimate of illegal immigrants, was running at two million per decade "and probably more". This attracted very hostile comment at the time but the government's latest immigration assumption is 190,000 a year, excluding illegal immigrants.
Asylum
Migrationwatch has supported the principle of asylum from the outsetbut has been strongly critical of the government failure to remove many of those whose claims are rejected. It is strongly opposed to an amnesty.
 | The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (November 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Academic Tony Kushner has argued that "it has been possible to couch the campaign against asylum-seekers in a discourse of morality: the need to protect 'our' people and culture against the diseased and dangerous alien, as well as the distinction drawn between helping the genuine refugee and exposing the bogus asylum-seeker", and cites MigrationWatch as part of this campaign. He argues that the group "has constructed for itself a spurious statistical rationale".
Economy
Migrationwatch have argued for three years that, while limited skilled migration (in both directions) is a natural and beneficial feature of an open economy, very large scale immigration is of little benefit to the indigenous population. This view was broadly endorsed in April, 2008 by the Select Committee on Economic Affairs of the House of Lords. It is strongly contested by the IPPR who believe, as do the government, that there are important dynamic benefits from immigration. The CBI, TUC and farming organisations are also disposed in favour of immigration without being specific on matters of scale.
Wages
MigrationWatch has claimed that migration into the UK has and will tend to hold down the real wages of British citizens. It has expressed much concern that immigration from Eastern Europe is depressing wages. However Christian Dustmann, director of the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration at University College, London claimed that there is no strong weight of evidence of significant wage depression. Either it did not exist or it was very modest. Similarly David Blanchflower, a member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, said in January 2007 that there was little evidence that immigrants from eastern Europe had significantly depressed the wages or employment chances of British workers. John Denham, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, claimed that although immigration was economically beneficial overall "The day rate for a brickie in Southampton has fallen by 50 per cent, which is good news if you are having a kitchen extension built, but, if you are a brickie with a family to feed, is not fine at all".
Human Rights Treaty
MigrationWatch advocated that the Government should "cut loose from the straitjacket" imposed by its obligations under various conventions that made it impossible to operate the system in what it saw as the country's best interests. It has called for the British Government to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and write its own Human Rights Act. Its opposition to the existing ECHR is because it is not possible for some convicted terrorists to be deported at the end of their sentences to a country in which there is a real risk where they might be tortured. (Article 3 of the ECHR prohibiting torture cannot be subject to derogation, and case law has extended its application so as to prevent deportation of anyone who might be at risk of torture in their own country.. Opponents of this view argue that even terrorists should not be subject to torture, however MigrationWatch has never claimed to advocate the torture of terrorists.
HIV Testing
It has said it was dismayed by the decision to drop plans for mandatory testing for HIV for all immigrants. It says that it is necessary to prevent disease and that 47 governments currently carry out such a policy. Critics pointed out that recommendations from all kinds of bodies, including the World Health Organization, suggested that the government not institute such a policy. The government itself thought that the consequence would be an increase in the rate of illegal immigration among groups who knew they might be harbouring the infection and would not get the all-clear from a compulsory test.
See also
Notes
- "MigrationWatch UK". MigrationWatch UK. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
- "Who we are". MigrationWatch UK. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
- James Smith, David (2007-02-25). "In search of a ticket home". The Times. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
- Doward, Jamie (2004-02-22). "Can a bigger Europe work for Britain?". The Observer. p. 20. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Pallister, David (2007-03-21). "The numbers game". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
- Boswell, Christina (2009). "Knowledge, legitimation and the politics of risk: The functions of research in public debates on migration". Political Studies. 57 (1): 165–186. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.2008.00729.x.
- Hampshire, James (2008). "Disembedding liberalism? Immigration politics and security in Britain since 9/11". In Givens, Terri E.; Freeman, Gary P.; Leal, David L. (ed.). Immigration Policy and Security: US, European, and Commonwealth Perspectives. London: Routledge. p. 119. ISBN 0415990831.
{{cite book}}: More than one of|pages=and|page=specified (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - Welcome to Migration Watch UK
- MWUK - Profiles - Sir Andrew Green
- MWUK - Advisory Council
- MWUK - Press Releases
- GAD - Government Actuary's Department - Historic projections database
- MWUK - Who we are
- MWUK - The number of failed asylum seekers remaining in the UK
- MWUK - The True Cost of an Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants
- Kushner, Tony (2003). "Meaning nothing but good: Ethics, history and asylum-seeker phobia in Britain". Patterns of Prejudice. 37 (3): 257–276. doi:10.1080/00313220307593.
- MWUK - Migrants - Do they bring economic benefit?
- The House of Lords - Economic Affairs Reports
- Meeting Details
- "Government 'got it wrong' on immigration". The Daily Telegraph. 2005-03-07.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Yes, we love Polish plumbers, but how many MORE does Britain need?". Migration Watch. 2006-02-10.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "A Secret success". Time. 2005-02-20.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "UK fails to see benefits of migration= [[Financial Times]]". 2007-02-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); URL–wikilink conflict (help) - "Britain shuts the door on new wave of migrants", The Observer, October 22, 2006.
- "Demand for new laws on refugees". The Daily Telegraph. 2003-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ MigrationWatch Briefing Paper 8.17 dated July, 2007.
- MigrationWatch Briefing Paper 8.23 dated March, 2008
- "Undermining the Torture Ban". Human rights Watch. 2006-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "HIV Infection From Overseas= [[Migration Watch]]". 2004-12-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)