Immigrants put £2.5bn back into economy

Employers
have agreed with a Home Office report that says non-British born workers are
good for the economy.

The
report on the economic effects of migration suggests that on average immigrants
earn more than British-born residents and put 10 per cent more money back into
the economy, the equivalent of more than £2.5bn a year.

Antonia
Reid, business development manager of hospitality company Mayday Group, said,
"Immigrants are good for the catering industry as a lot of native Britons
do not want to work the long unsociable hours that are demanded in our
industry."

But
there can be cultural and visa problems, explained Reid. She said,
"Foreign students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours a week which
can cause problems for the company and there is a lot more red tape."

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"There
can also be cultural problems. African employees, for example, find it hard to
look customers in the eye as it can be culturally rude for them to do so."

The
report also said immigrant workers do not take jobs away from British people,
they fill gaps, such as the 64 Spanish nurses who arrived in the UK last week
to meet shortages in hospitals.