Jamal Elaheebocus debunks the main lies told by the right to whip up anger and hatred against migrants and refugees

• Migrants are not causing the NHS crisis
  In every area bar one, migrants use the NHS less than UK-born nationals, because they tend to be young adults with few long-term health conditions. Migrants also make up 17% of the NHS workforce and 27% of nurses, filling jobs vital to the health service.
• Migrants are not causing the housing crisis
  Asylum seekers are ineligible for social housing and 90% of social housing is allocated to UK-born nationals. The real cause is a historic low in social-housing building: there has been a net loss of 177,000 social homes since 2012.
• Migrants are not a drain on the economy
  Most arrive at working age so do not need the education or other public-service provision needed in childhood. Migrants contribute approximately £83bn to the UK economy annually.
• Migrants do not take jobs
  They tend to fill job vacancies that are otherwise not filled by UK-born workers in health and social care, hospitality and agriculture.
• Migrants do not drive down wages
  Their effect on wages is at worst negligible but usually positive as they contribute to economic growth. Years of real-terms pay cuts and low-pay jobs are the causes of low wages.
• Immigration does not increase crime rates
  There is no rise in crime associated with rises in immigration to the UK. The key determinant of crime rates is the same as it is for UK-born nationals: labour-market opportunities, which have reduced due to years of stagnation and austerity.

From this month’s Counterfire freesheet