Until politicians grasp problems of cheap labour and foreign students, UK’s immigration system will never get fixed
Hooked on cheap labour & uni fees
IN THE midst of the massive row over this week’s shocking legal migration figures, one thing stuns above all others.
It’s just how dependent Britain has become on foreign workers.
Almost one in five of our care home staff are from abroad and many have brought dependants.
Our universities have mushroomed by admitting ever more foreign students, who contribute around a fifth of higher education’s total income.
The number of relatives travelling with a student from outside the EU jumped from 7,000 in 2019 to 96,000 last year.
That is a staggering 14-fold increase in just four years.
It is a shameful record for the Tories, who opened the door to students’ dependants.
Unless Rishi Sunak gets to grips with this spiralling influx quickly, it will only get worse.
As MP Bob Seely says opposite: “Parliament must own the problem.”
Capping entries and increasing minimum salaries are part of the solution.
More Brit workers must urgently be trained up to fill care sector posts.
But the strategy of constantly relying on cheap foreign labour and foreign students is fundamentally flawed and must change. It drives down wages and puts a massive strain on public services.
Until politicians of all parties grasp these underlying problems, the system will never get fixed.
Spread the cheer
CHILDREN with cancer need all the Christmas cheer they can get.
That is why we are urging our generous readers to snap up our Sun on Sunday Christmas cards, designed by youngsters.
The money raised will go towards presents for young cancer patients spending the festive season in hospital.
So please get out to The Entertainer store to buy our cards or you can order them online.
It’s worth it to bring a smile to their faces.
French effort to a tee
IF YOU ever suspected that French efforts to stop the migrant boats were less than wholehearted, wonder no longer.
Luc-Noël Larcher, a French police chief tasked with stopping illegal Channel crossings, has been accused of bunking off from his day job to play golf and swim — for the past 14 years. Nice work if you can get it, Monsieur Larcher.
But it is any surprise that we get so little return from the millions of pounds we sink into the French border police?