Is immigration good for the UK?

By Maddy Savage
Newsbeat reporter, Stoke-on-Trent

A report says immigration has "little or no" impact on the economy

There are long queues in the job centre here, partly because one of the computers is broken. But also there are a lot of young people looking for jobs in the area.

Anthony, 21, has been trying to get work in a warehouse for several months. He's blaming the growing number of immigrants moving to the town.

He said: "In all the warehouses you see foreign workers. Every year you just see more and more of them. It's hard for me, the longer you go without being in work, the harder it is to get a new job".

Immigrant limits

A House of Lords committee report claims that immigration has led to extra competition for jobs and means some British workers are losing out.

Foreign workers add billions of pounds to the UK's economy

The report says immigration has had "little or no" impact on people's economic well-being.

But Gordon Brown insists it is good for the UK. He argues that £6bn has been added to the economy because of people moving.

The government has already introduced new rules to make sure only the most skilled workers from abroad can move now.

The report is calling for a limit on the number of immigrants moving to Britain though, and Anthony agrees.

He said: "There's got to be a cap somewhere. If I could decide how many people to let in each year, it would be about 10!"

Economic issues

Others believe cutting the number of people moving here could cause problems for the economy.

Justice, 32, came from Ghana a few years ago. He has worked in retail and electronics jobs.

"It's all very well English people saying, 'They've taken our jobs' but they don't want to do most of the jobs that immigrants do because they say they are menial. Cleaning offices, cleaning toilets," he said.

"Most of the people you see there are foreigners. But the foreigners are paying taxes while some British people are on benefits."

Also waiting for his appointment at the job centre is 33-year-old Tony Myatt. He's between jobs in computer engineering.

He said: "I personally don't feel swamped by immigrants. It makes sense they are coming here because our economy is stronger than where they come from. Why not?

"But what the government here needs to be doing is providing more training for young people here."