Immigration and youth jobless ‘linked’

A LINK between immigration from Eastern Europe and youth unemployment in Britain was raised in a report by campaigners yesterday.

The number of migrants working in the UK who were born in Eastern Europe rose by 600,000 since the so-called A8 countries joined the EU in May 2004, while youth unemployment rose by almost 450,000 in the same period, Migration Watch UK said.

Sir Andrew Green, the campaign group’s chairman, said it would be “a very remarkable coincidence if there was no link at all between them”. Migrants from the A8 countries “have tended to be disproportionately young, well-educated, prepared to work for low wages and imbued with a strong work ethic.

“It is implausible and counter-intuitive to conclude – as the previous government and some economists have done – that A8 migration has had virtually no impact on UK youth unemployment in this period.”