Mal Fletcher comments

Mal Fletcher

One of the architects of the modern EU, Francois Mitterand, once said: "I'm afraid that when Europe's body is reunited it may lose its soul." Some people feel that is happening right now - and that immigration is largely to blame.

Immigration has been called the most potent political issue in Europe today. It can certainly be a very emotive one.

On one side, there are people who argue for a very open handed approach to immigration. On the other are people who call for tighter immigration laws because, they claim, immigration may bring higher levels of crime or jeopardise traditional values.

Last Friday, the Daily Mail newspaper reported that according to Government experts, 'The soaring birth rate among immigrant mothers will soon become the main driver of Britain's rapid population growth.'

'Immigration,' said the newspaper, 'has been the biggest factor in increasing the population in recent years, and with millions of new arrivals starting families the birth rate is soaring. Almost a quarter of all babies in Britain are now born to immigrant mothers.'

No doubt, figures like these will raise the heat again in the ongoing debate about immigration and multiculturalism.

The question on which our minds should be focussed, though, is not whether we should allow immigration, but how it should be managed.

Governments need to focus on this question: how many people can the system support; what kinds of people, with what skills and experience, do we need to import; and how quickly can we expect newcomers to assimilate?

Immigration brings many benefits to a society. It can, for example, bring a creative and cosmopolitan edge in fashion, food, the arts and architecture and entertainment.

It can also bring economic growth. Countries with declining and ageing populations - like those in most of Europe - need to import immigrants to produce the wealth that will keep their standards of living high.

Without immigration, they'd face a pension crisis, changes in work patterns, shrinking cities and massive health care costs. Besides, immigrants will often do the jobs that local people refuse to do.

For all its benefits, of course, there are challenges which should not be underestimated - challenges for the host nations, and on a personal level, for those who are migrating.

I've had the privilege of being an immigrant twice in my life. My wife and I and our children moved from Australia to Denmark and some years later to the UK. I can tell you from experience, being an immigrant is in both exciting and daunting.

Many people value the cultural diversity that comes with multiculturalism, but they're afraid that too much immigration will place extra pressure on already strained local services, such as hospitals and schools.