Immigration - some more thoughts.

It's a topic thats produced some of the sharpest exchanges in the TV debates, but as I've said before all three of the major parties policies leave me feeling uncomfortable. There's also been some debate over the statistics they've been coming up with.

It was therefore with interest that I read here that in terms of workers from outside the EU, more left the UK in 2008. Which makes a nonsense of all the policies - how can you place a cap, or impose regional limits when more are leaving than arriving? There are of course different types of immigration:

Asylum Seekers - those who come to this country in order to flee genuine persecution at home. Only the Greens seem to be talking about this and welcoming (or even recognising) our Moral duty to accept and welcome all who come.

Economc Migrants from outside the EU - this is where the debate has been focussed because this is where you can place limits. But if more people are leaving than arriving, the tone of the debate (which I've long said is being forced too much by the BNP) is completely nonsensical.

Migrants from within the EU - reallistically we can do nothing about this whilst being part of the EU, so you either have three choices: you take freedom of movement with the EU as a good thing (as I would see it); you grit your teeth and bare it or you vote UKIP and get us out of the EU.

Illegal Immigrants/Trafficked people - for me this is the biggest concern. The tories and Labour don't seem to be talking about it at all. The Lib dems are at least trying to address it, although their plans probably don't appeal to everyone. For me the amnesty in order to be able to get at the gangs involved in trafficking people makes some kind of sense. We need to be doing more to be stopping this modern-day form of slavery, but the debate so far seems unwilling to get to grips with this.

So all in all, what they're all telling you doesn't make all that much sense.