I live in Australia. An American couple have moved in near us. They worked for an American company in the UK for just over 4 years and because of that they now have British Passports.
Life's weird ain't it.

Dinoz, Brisbane, Australia

I just think that over population is the main challenge facing the World. In other words "don't take up my space". Less is better when it comes to people.

William, London, UK

Chris K WRONG all thecountries mentioned have plenty of space and their cities are not overcrowded. Thats why they encourage immigrants because they need more people.

bill, ely,

"And then there's the issue of retaliation."

It's already a lot more difficult for Britons to get work permits for professional jobs in most non-EU developed countries than it is for their citizens to take up similar jobs here. It's us that needs to restore the balance.

Leo, York, UK

Another issue is that many British jobs are open to foreigners ONLY. I applied to a farm, picking fruit and packaging them... the pay was more than decent and I was an able worker. I got rejected outright! They said Brits tend to be unreliable - well, give me a chance at least!

Ian, Cheshire,

The challenge lies in insuring that immigrants reinforce our democracies. Otherwise, we create enclaves of intolerance, as in the novel "Up Dog Street" whose protagonist says "I'm not concerned about the browning of America, as long as its not a reference a reference to the color of their shirts."

TGonzalez, Spring Hill, USA

It is about race. I am an immigrant. I have heard the argument that the issue is not race while at the same time ranting against the influx of immigrants. No-one oddly has accused me of being a foreigner stealing "British" jobs. Maybe its because I have a white face and English is my first language

Alex, London,

Lucy from London you talk nonsense, We moved to rural France 5 years ago along with many other Brits, and I can honestly say that at 65 years work harder than ever I did sitting in an office keying into a computer. With 8 acres of land life is hard but good. crime is unknown around these parts,

AFJ, Launay Villiers, france

If the argument really was just about numbers, with the government concerned about overcrowding, where are the policies limiting the number of children you may have? Deciding that it's fine for benefits families to keep on pumping out kids while blocking immigration is clearly about something else.

Richard, Cambridge,

Very good article. I will vote for a party who says they want to encourage migration. If some one is keen enough to travel to another country to work, I want them here. Our problem is with native brits not working hard and moving likewise - they only emigrate to live the life of reily in spain

Lucy, London,

Economic immigration has helped disguise the government's failure to get the idle into work. Also, many migrants from Eastern EU have families there who become eligible for UK benefits and that together with the money sent 'home' by very many immigrant communities drains billions from the UK economy

Maddy, Worcester, England

I don't care about their "manners" (Marek, London). I want the children to be educated! Unfortunately, there's precious little chance of that, for their or anyone else's children unless they pay, and there aren't enough places for everyone to do that even if they could afford it.

Graham Rounce, London, UK

The UK has a welfare state which is funded by progressive taxation. This means that most immigrants, if they settle permanently, will consume more in services over the course of a lifetime than they pay in taxes. In the long run, this can only slow down our rate of economic growth.

Edward Hubbard, Tamworth, Staffordshire

Migrants aren't the problem, they get no benefits. Benefits and big governernment are the problem, in Scotland 1 in 4 is now State dependent either for work or benefits. Slash the benefit system and reduce government, force them to be productive and they will be, reduce the soft options!

Doug Bates, St. Albans,

And prevent British men in their fifties from ever working again if they find themselves redundant.........

Judy, Liverpool, England

I wouldn't mind half of these argument if the unemplyable could be bothered to work. They moan about foreigners "taking THEIR jobs" but either can't be bothered to work or think that certain jobs are below them!!!! Labour has encouraged this and being unemplyed certainly beats working for most!

James F, London,

"the island of 'Great' Britain having a population more than Canada, Australia and New Zealand put together" Well done for naming three countries which have huge areas that are uninhabital due to arctic temperatures, desert and huge mountains.

Chris Kirk, Loughborough, LEICS

We are now the most densely populated country in Europe. We have millions who could work but sit back on benefits. We have a growing, almost parasitical, class who rely on taxes from the rest of the population.
Surely time so say enough people and get more gainfully occupied to better us all?

Richard Painter, Aldbury, GB

Many people in the UK work for multinational companies, so good jobs are created here by "immigrants", are these jobs to be filled only by nationals? These companies pay good taxes to the British government as well as foreign workers.

Riccardo, Guildford, Surrey

The economic immigrants are not the problem . They find jobs. The key issues are;
1. Immigrants must integrate, as the East African Asians have.
2. The pace of immigration needs tobe at a rate that can be assimilated.
3. 'Peterborough' youth needs to do the work available.Benefits are too easy

R G James, Brasschaat, Belgium

With the island of 'Great' Britain having a population more than Canada, Australia and New Zealand put together, the real issue is how many more people can be squashed onto it.

Paul, Coventry,

I don't think it's racist or wrong to be concerned at levels of immigration to the UK. The work ethic of employees from abroad shames much of our indigenous (white) population, however New Labour allowed hundreds of thousands of people into Britain illegally and is now paying the price.

Stephen, Glasgow,

A country owes its citizens loyalty just as citizens owe their country loyalty.

A country (or the EU) owes its citizens loyalty in first crack at jobs ahead of foreigners.

Citizens own their country loyalty by keeping down the growth of human population and preserving the environment.

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

Sun never sets on the British Empire
This is what all of us heard for the past 100 years.
Now due to the lure of more money, good jobs and better
treatment migrants come loaded in Boeing 777 you have no right to complain.
Only option is to make way for the unskilled and semi skilled
migrants

S.Venkateshwaran, mumbai , india

Liberal open immigration policies keep wages down, cut the cost of education (we don't need to educate our own if we can import the already educated), and boosting the wealth of property owners by increasing demand for property while making humans cheaper. To heck with British plants and animals.

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

The poles can now work here in France, the significant difference is that they will not get a job unless they can speak french fluently, also proof of qualifications or work experience are required before a SIRET is granted, no dodgy plumbers here.

N Harding, Ladapeyre, France

So where Mr Aaronovitch is your limit 100 million, 150 million, 2 billion? The only diffenece between some of us and you is that we feel the limit is at or below 60 million. The rest is morale posturing

Mark wilson, Nottinham,

The unfettered immigration of the past 11 years has had a few positive effects on the UK but far more negatives. Our society - which was tolerant & fairly cohesive has become divided & intolerant. We want our country back. Brits SHD be put first with jobs, housing etc over newly arrived immigrants

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

Sorry, David, but you've lost the argument. A projected unemployment level of three million suggests that the employment rights of immigrants are going to be rather low on people's priority list in the next year or two.

Colin MacKinnon, Oxford, United Kingdom

Was it not Brown who said "British jobs for British workers"? The basic point David is that no people like to see their native culture threatened by a large influx of foreigners from different cultures. The British are no different from other nationalities in this respect. It is all about numbers.

Richard, Kidderminster, England

As elsewhere in the world the UK is already suffering from overpopulation as witnessed by traffic jams, housing shortages, litter etc. Inviting in people with the required skills s ok when these skills are in demand but what happens when they are not. Retrainingis the solution to skill shortages.

Graham, Nes, Norway

Strong words Ged.
Strong, ridiculous words.

Paul, Singapore,

I agree with every one of you points. But it is what you fail to mention that I worry about. With the exception of a small educated elite grown over the last 2 generations in a handful of select developed nations, human beings all over do not seem ready yet to enter a post-racial society.

Dave, Beijing, China

I recently had a conversation with an Edinburgh friend who complained about immigration....
Has an immigrant ever bothered you ?
No.
Ever robbed you?
No, but my house has been broken into several times by locals.
Ever been rude to you?
No, usually gangs of local lads do that.

Where is the problem?

mark, Munich,

If Poles are discriminated against for jobs in Britain, can we kick out Tesco, BP and, last not least, Ernst & Young from Poland?

Mariusz Kuklinski, London, UK

Our society has already been changed out of all recognition. But it wasn't immigrants who did it - it was New Labour. They have turned Britain into an authoritarian land where the state intrudes more and more into personal life and we are beset by petty bureaucrats.

Jamie Gilmour, Bolton, UK

'It's about pressure on services (despite migrants disproportionately providing them or paying for them'.
You are spot on there. Last week a government minister said 80% of Ethnic Minorities work in the Public sector.
The Migration Watch site does categorise East-Europeans as Ethnic Minorities.

Richard, London, England

How ridiculous - we've had a decade of unlimited massive levels of immigration with the native population never consulted, and even now the main parties are only pretending they want a change in this deliberate policy. GB is a country more fragmented and divided than any time I can ever remember.

Steve Jacks, London,

Interesting article.

Adi, Reading, UK

Our economy is in a mess. Do we really need a massive outflow of cash from workers whose hearts and minds are really elsewhere? We are in a baby boom with over 70% born to foreign born mothers. We are short of skills, English students pay fees, Scottish do not. What is right?

Harry H, London, UK

To believe that it is simply about economics is to reveal a lack of love and understanding for this country.
This analysis displays a cold, money orientated approach to life which is alien to the British spirit.
We simply don't want the country to be over crowded by people with different manners.

Marek, London,

As long as you people get everything cheap why worry about exploitation. People worked in terrible conditions for years then when they said enough, and demanded better, Immigrants were allowed in and jobs moved overseas. Now we have people on starvation wages here to supply you. you disgust me.

ged , manchester,