DATE: 25 May 2016 IMMEDIATE

NEWS

UK WILL NEED MIGRANTS

- IN OR OUT OF THE EU

In or out the EU, the UK is going to have to remain a country open to migration. Newcomers will need to be included in a broad system of rights whatever system of border management the UK adopts, says the Migrants' Rights Network (MRN) in a new briefing.

MRN argues that free movement has worked well across many sectors of the UK economy. If the 23 June referendum vote on goes in favour of Brexit, the government will have to come up with other ways of managing migration that will allow the movement of people across UK borders similar to levels under the EU regulations.

The briefing concludes that:

• immigration is not the cause of large-scale unemployment in the UK, nor is it responsible for driving down the wages of British workers. 

• migrants are not to blame for pressures on the NHS either. Difficulties booking appointments with GPs or waiting too long for hospital appointments are as likely to be experienced in areas of low migrant settlement, like Southend-on-Sea , Redcar or Hartlepool , as they are in the big urban centres where newcomers are arriving.

• Britain's fundamental security is not under threat from migrant workers or refugees.  Having a smart, savvy population with the cultural resources and collective intelligence that really knows how to read the danger signs and respond accordingly is a far better way of securing ourselves against the risks of modern life.

• Commonwealth migrants do not lose out as a result of EU free movement rules. The right of Commonwealth migrants to come to the UK was seriously cut as far back as 1962.  Visa controls against Commonwealth citizens were put in place in the mid-1980s, well before large-scale EU migration took-off. The UK's many anti-Commonwealth immigrant measures since then have been deeply entrenched for decades and exist without any connection to EU law.

Commenting, MRN's Director, Don Flynn says:

"Whatever the outcome of the referendum, Britain will continue to need migration.  Its borders must not be allowed to become fortified castle walls that hold the rest of the world at bay.  If the country votes for Brexit it will need an alternative system for managing the movement of people which is just as good and at the same relatively low cost. We will still need policies that welcome people who are committed to making a life in the UK and who intend to be good neighbours in the communities in which they settle."

Michal Siewniak, 36, a Community Development Manager from Hertfordshire, originally from Poland, says:

"There are many critics of the free movement, but I love it. The whole scheme has enabled me to do so much - including serving my community as a former local councillor. It's made a real difference in my life and I am grateful for it!"

Veronika Susedkova, 29, a Czech charity worker from Yorkshire, adds:

"Free movement complement personal rights and enriches communities and wider society. If the freedom to move, work and live disappears it will complicate the ordinary lives of Brits and EU citizens - both in the UK and in Europe. And we could lose the enterprising spirit, courage and diversity people have brought with them!"

And Ivelina Metchkarova, a Bulgarian policy officer from Leeds, comments:

 "Taking free movement away would have a fundamental affect on me and my children. It would undermine a founding EU principle - people's ability to mix with each other across borders and to build understanding and social cohesion. For me, it would mean losing a kind of European citizenship, which gives me and my children the right to live, work, study, retire or do business across my continent. "

ENDS (613 words)

Press contact: Alan Ali on 07403 147 311 anda.ali@migrantsrights.org.uk

Note to Editors:

Copies of the full briefing, EU Nationals in the UK, are available for download at wwww.migrantsrights.org.uk/news

Migrants' Rights Networkis a national network of civil society organisations working and campaigning in support of migrants in the UK. Our work brings together migrant activists and support organisations, think tanks, academics, faith groups and public sector representatives to advocate for a rights-based approach towards migration in the UK.