It is thought that immigration was one of the things that swayed people to vote as they did in the referendum. Today the government has published the white paper, and it is quite clear that instead of making low skilled labour less numerous, it will actually make it easier to come to the country. Six months to seek work under current EU rules, twelve months under the new ones. Yes, that includes people from the EU and anyone else from the rest of the world. This is because the government recognises that these people are actually required to keep the wheels turning, and to support an ageing population. It will last until 2025, but who is to say that it will not continue for another five after then? Migration Watch said there was no way of making sure people left after a year and the immigration figures, which do not include people in the UK for less than a year, could be distorted as a result.
"It is shocking that the government should have caved in so completely to the demands of industry while ignoring the strong public desire to get immigration down," said its chair Lord Green.
"The chief winners will be business, as they exploit the bonanza of a huge new pool of labour from around the world while continuing to avoid their responsibility to the public to recruit and train up local talent."
With targets being abolished, how much longer before the numbers boom, but they are not counted? Still this is what people think is taking back control, so they will all be applauding it no doubt.