Immigration is one of the hot button topics of our times, we hear about it almost daily across the news, social media and from politicians looking to capitalise on the emotions associated with this subject. Archie, member of the Somerset Youth Parliament advisory group, has written a thoughtful and thought-provoking article on immigration, the myths and misinformation spread, as well as the opportunities and shortsightedness it exposes.
One of the most common arguments against immigration is that migrants put too much pressure on the NHS, schools, housing, and other public services. At first glance, this seems logical. If more people live in the country, surely public services become more stretched.
But the picture is far more complicated.
Migrants are not just people using services—they are also the people running them. Thousands work as doctors, nurses, carers, teachers, engineers, builders and scientists. They pay taxes, start businesses, spend money in local communities and help keep the economy growing.
Like everyone else, migrants need homes, healthcare and education. The difference is that many arrive during their working years, meaning they begin contributing to the economy almost immediately.
The real question is not whether the population has grown. It is whether governments have planned for that growth.
Britain has spent decades building too few homes, delaying transport projects and underinvesting in public services. Blaming immigration for problems caused by years of political decisions risks confusing the symptom with the cause. If a school is overcrowded, the solution is to build another school—not to blame the children attending it.
Population growth requires investment, but investment has too often failed to keep pace. That is a political choice, not an unavoidable consequence of immigration.
Immigration and Crime
Crime is one of the most emotionally charged parts of the immigration debate.
When a migrant commits a serious offence, it often dominates headlines for days. Politicians debate it, social media fills with arguments, and immigration quickly becomes the centre of the conversation.
Yet there is something worth asking.
The overwhelming majority of crimes committed in Britain are committed by people who were born in Britain, simply because the overwhelming majority of people living here were born here. Those crimes are almost never used to make sweeping claims about British people as a whole.
When someone born in the UK commits a crime, we usually see them as an individual responsible for their own actions. When a migrant commits a crime, entire communities are sometimes judged because of one person’s behaviour.
That double standard makes it much easier for fear to spread than facts.
Research has found little evidence that immigration itself is a major driver of crime. Poverty, inequality, lack of opportunity, education and social exclusion are much stronger predictors of offending than where someone happened to be born.
Every victim deserves justice, and everyone who commits a crime should face the consequences. But good public policy should be based on evidence, not whichever story happens to generate the biggest headlines.
Legal and Irregular Migration
It is also important to distinguish between legal migration and irregular migration, because the two are often discussed as though they are the same thing.
Legal migrants come to the UK through routes established by the government, whether for work, study, family, or humanitarian reasons. They apply through the relevant system, meet its requirements, and receive permission to live in the country.
Irregular migration is different. It can include people who enter the country without the required permission or who remain after their legal permission has expired. The situation is particularly complicated for asylum seekers. Under international law, people have the right to seek asylum, and someone fleeing persecution may not have a safe or realistic way of obtaining a visa before reaching another country.
This distinction matters because describing all irregular arrivals simply as “illegal immigrants” can hide the reasons why people have ended up in that situation.
Could We Reduce Irregular Migration?
If the government wants to reduce irregular migration, making legal routes more accessible could be part of the solution.
People generally do not choose dangerous or expensive routes when a safe, affordable and realistic alternative is available. If someone has a genuine reason to come to Britain but faces an extremely complicated application process, years of waiting, or no suitable legal route at all, the incentives to use irregular routes become stronger.
This does not mean that everyone arriving irregularly would qualify for a visa if the system were easier. Nor does it mean that border controls are unnecessary. Governments have the right to control who enters their country and to enforce immigration laws.
However, enforcement alone cannot solve every problem. A system that combines effective border management with faster asylum decisions, clearer legal routes and simpler application processes could reduce the incentives for irregular migration while allowing people with legitimate reasons to enter Britain safely.
There is also an economic argument. If people who would otherwise work, study, or contribute to British society can enter through legal routes, they can begin paying taxes and participating in the economy rather than becoming stuck in an expensive and uncertain immigration system.
The aim should therefore not simply be to make migration harder. It should be to make the system fairer, faster and more functional.
A government can be serious about controlling its borders while still recognising that making legitimate migration possible is often more effective than attempting to prevent every form of movement.
Immigration and the Future
One of the biggest myths in British politics is that we have to choose between immigration and good public services.
We do not.
Countries are capable of growing. More people also means more workers, more taxpayers, more entrepreneurs, more ideas and more innovation. Throughout history, immigration has helped Britain fill labour shortages, strengthen public services and contribute to scientific, cultural and economic progress.
The real challenge is making sure investment keeps pace.
Governments choose how many homes are built. Governments decide how much to invest in transport, healthcare and education. If these systems fail to expand alongside the population, the answer is not to stop people moving—it is to improve the way we plan for the future.
Of course, every country has practical limits. Infrastructure cannot expand overnight, and migration policy should always be considered alongside housing, schools and public services. Sustainable immigration is not about chasing the highest possible number or the lowest possible number. It is about matching population growth with investment so that communities can thrive.
Too often, immigration becomes a convenient explanation for problems that existed long before recent migration levels. Britain faced a housing shortage before record migration. The NHS struggled with funding and staffing before recent migration. Public transport outside London has faced decades of underinvestment regardless of migration levels.
Immigration is not a magic solution, but neither is it the source of every challenge Britain faces.
If we want honest conversations about the future, we need to stop asking whether immigration is good or bad. Instead, we should ask what kind of country we want to build—and how everyone who lives here can contribute to it.
Because ultimately, societies do not become stronger by fearing people who arrive. They become stronger by making sure everyone already here, and everyone who joins them, has the opportunity to succeed.
Archie
Not just elected members
Did you know that Somerset Youth Parliament isn’t just it’s elected members? Any young person in Somerset aged 10-25 years can become a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group.
For more information about becoming a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group and to join, visit our Join Us page.
