Immigration: too many too fast

The worst among our citizens and politicians are eager to depict illegal immigrants as criminals, potential terrorists and alien invaders. Recent demonstrations in the USA should have changed that view. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants – both legal and illegal – walked out of work and marched in cities across America. "Moms", dads and children demonstrated peacefully, many waving US flags. The focus of their protest was the strict immigration bill currently in Congress, which would criminalise illegal migrants, and reinforce the Mexican border. But the marchers also carried a powerful wider message on behalf of America's 12 million illegal workers (80% of whom are Hispanic). These immigrants, weary of silent servitude, are speaking up for something simple: a chance to work to become citizens, with all the obligations and opportunities that go with it.

The marchers have made their point but it may not change much. Rather, it seems to have polarised American public opinion: support for the cause is growing, but so is public concern about immigration. The conservative Republicans who backed the controversial bill in Congress are digging their heels in, and Latinos don't yet have much political power – illegals, obviously, can't vote, and only 39% of America's 41 million Hispanic citizens are registered. The next step will be to register these voters, to convert the energy of protest into political clout.

Here in the UK, the scandal of the foreign prisoners released without facing deportation is a natural result of one of New Labour's least publicised policies namely its commitment to high levels of immigration. The statistics speak for themselves: In 1997 there was a net immigration into Butain of 26,000. In 2004 (the most recent figure availible), the net figure was 342,000. Take the outflow of immigrants out of the equation and that means 582,000 new citizens – the equivalent of seven parliamentary constituencies – legally arrived here in the UK in 2004 alone. Such an influx puts a strain on schools, housing authorities, the NHS and the legal system. The 300% increase in foreign prisoners over the past ten years actually speaks well for the behaviour of immigrants, given that net immigration has soared by 1,400%. I completely believe that immigrants are a good thing for the UK, as can be demonstrated with reference the USA, and provides enormous benefits but a very fast increase of anything tends to be a bad idea.