Why do you support Labour?

A koala?

Oreo

I haven’t noticed anyone being cross, it’s a debate isn’t it.

But where is the chairperson?

Eats, shoots and leaves.

Whether or not those arriving are migrants or asylum seekers is another question?

Indeed it is, GG13, and it is a question to be answered by the Home Office personnel who deal with their applications for asylum. Applications for which, can I remind you, can only be made in the UK, and as there are no safe routes for most asylum seekers, the boats are their only opportunity to reach the UK. Not to be decided by a load of elderly people with degrees of xenophobia which vary from non existent to pretty strong...

TBH, I thought we were talking about 'regular' immigration, for which we have had some or other sort of 'points system' since 2008. And prior to that the only 'immigrants' who didn't need a visa were our fellow EU citizens.

Biscuitmuncher

foxie48 of course we would manage without them, who do you think they are treating! Go to any doctors or hospitals they're full of foreigners

"Biscuitmuncher* That's absolutely wrong. I've had two hospital admissions in 2024, on both occasions I was cared for by Migrant doctors, nurses and healthcare workers who came from all over the world. I live in a mainly rural area of the country with a very small migrant population. My daughter is a hospital doctor in Wales, she also works with staff from all over the world treating British patients. I wonder whom you are categorising as "foreign" Most "foreign" people will be required to pay for their NHS treatment.

foxie48 of course we would manage without them, who do you think they are treating! Go to any doctors or hospitals they're full of foreigners

MaizieD

^I'm not one of who thinks immigration should be banned, as it's impossible for a modern economy, but it should be controlled and employers like the NHS should be able to fill staff shortages from overseas.^

What planet are you living on, Cumbrianmale?. It IS controlled and has been for along time.

The only control over the boats arriving on our shores is by criminal gangs earning €millions

Whether or not those arriving are migrants or asylum seekers is another question?

I haven’t noticed anyone being cross, it’s a debate isn’t it.

Casdon

I’m not advocating this, but I think the points based system as it stands is fine for the worker in a required role coming to the UK. They are entitled to bring their immediate family, and parents and siblings if they are dependents. Potentially we therefore get one worker and a number of dependents. To strictly control immigration long term, the number of dependents allowed would need to be reduced.

Then why aren’t you advocating this? It does depend on the job and how much we want a certain worker to work and live here, and a spouse and children are reasonable and fair but not parents and siblings or anyone else.

Iam64

It’s amazing how ill informed and unnecessarily cross some people are

It’s also amazing how people manage to ignore posts which point out that they are wrong, even when links to reputable sources are posted.

I’m not advocating this, but I think the points based system as it stands is fine for the worker in a required role coming to the UK. They are entitled to bring their immediate family, and parents and siblings if they are dependents. Potentially we therefore get one worker and a number of dependents. To strictly control immigration long term, the number of dependents allowed would need to be reduced.

We have huge skill shortages in some areas of work eg the NHS wouldn't be able to function at all without the thousands of foreign workers who come here to work. These workers are cheap, we haven't paid to educate them, house them, look after them for the 20 or more years they have been alive. That's been done at another countries expense. If we were using home grown skilled people we would have had this expense and we'd still have had to accommodate etc.

When governments admit that immigration ( legal) has run away from them and has got too high then it’s hard to believe there really is a points based system or if there is it’s being ignored.

Just had a look on U.Gov

Yep the points system is active now in UK

It’s amazing how ill informed and unnecessarily cross some people are

Thanks Whitewave, you sometimes wonder when it's suggested so often on social media.

Yes

A points based system would be ideal (Oreo)

We have a points based system, don't we?

I'm not one of who thinks immigration should be banned, as it's impossible for a modern economy, but it should be controlled and employers like the NHS should be able to fill staff shortages from overseas.

What planet are you living on, Cumbrianmale?. It IS controlled and has been for along time.

Casdon

The UK already has a points based immigration system.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f08a103e90e0712c5f221e0/UK_Points-Based_System_Further_Details_Web_Accessible.pdf

Thanks for pointing that out, Casdon, I was beginning to think I was imagining things or living on a completely different planet from some posters. I knew we had a points based system.

In fact, according to this BBC news item from 2016, the Labour government introduced a points based system for immigration in 2008... (except it was based on 'tiers') Only fellow EU citizens were exempt from it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29594642

Oreo

Cumbrianmale56

I don't care if this sounds politically incorrect, but when you let 700,000 people into the country 2 years ago, it puts even more strain on housing, the NHS and schools. I can't see Labour doing anything to reduce immigration, as it's in their DNA to support mass immigration, and the Tories didn't do much either. It's time to have a points based immigration system.

Well, tho true some may not like what you say, it’s still the unvarnished truth.
A points based system would be ideal.

I'm not one of who thinks immigration should be banned, as it's impossible for a modern economy, but it should be controlled and employers like the NHS should be able to fill staff shortages from overseas.

The UK already has a points based immigration system.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f08a103e90e0712c5f221e0/UK_Points-Based_System_Further_Details_Web_Accessible.pdf

Well, tho true some may not like what you say, it’s still the unvarnished truth.
Hardly. For one thing it is blaming the LP for what happened 2 years before they came to power, and for another it is going on about DNA. A lot of the time people complain about immigrants being single men - how do they put strain on schools? Illegal immigrants won't get housing or be able to use the NHS, so that doesn't add up either.

A points-based system may not be a bad idea, but we can't debate that from a place of such blatant inaccuracy.

Oreo

A points based immigration system would give us the people we need to fill the kind of jobs that we need.

Totally agree.

I have absolutely no idea why a points based scheme cannot be implemented.

I thought that was in the pipeline at one time?

A points based immigration system would give us the people we need to fill the kind of jobs that we need.