Immigration debate must not be delayed

Nigel Farage wrote in these pages two days ago that the Government is executing a “great Brexit betrayal” on immigration. The announcement that it has commissioned a study on the role of EU migrants in the economy will probably add to his worries. The timing is suspicious. Why not commission such a report immediately after the referendum – or even before? Why take more than 12 months to publish, which just happens to coincide with the final stages of the Brexit talks? Are the pro-immigration forces within the Cabinet scheduling a U-turn?

It is one thing to consult business, which is always welcome, but another to set up the case for continued free movement, so as to spring it like a trap at the last minute. Few would be surprised if the report concluded that EU migrants are a net benefit to GDP. But that is only one aspect of the immigration debate. This report will not cover the impact of migration upon community cohesion. For many Britons, immigration is not a question of economic growth but population change, and the Tories bear some responsibility for this. Both David Cameron and Theresa May pledged to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands. If the so-called “business case” on immigration is to dominate, it is likely that this pledge, which has raised so many hopes, will be added to a long list of broken promises.

Of course the economy matters. Of course business needs to know what the labour market will look like post-brexit. But kicking the issue into the long grass for a whole year, shutting down debate within the Tory ranks, serves a political need, not a business one. It would be far more useful if the Government explained now what kind of immigration system it sees the country creating. The voters want to know what a transition, or so-called “implementation period”, will mean for numbers. Will Britain be introducing a points-based system afterwards? Will visas be distributed according to the demands of the private and public sector, or will the Government sincerely try to cut net migration? The Conservative Party has got to give us a better understanding of its social and economic priorities.

The immigration system of the future should not be designed behind closed doors: that would be contrary to the spirit of last year’s EU referendum. The public voted to take back control. At the very least, it deserves to know where the country is headed – and sooner rather than later.