MP's population call

The co-chairman of the Cross-Party Group on Balanced Migration has published an open letter with Labour MP Frank Field, calling for measures to prevent Britain's population rising to more than 70 million in the next 20 years.

Nicholas Soames said: "Immigration is one of the British public's major concerns yet none of the major parties has a sufficiently firm policy on immigration just days away from a General Election campaign.

"As it seems likely that the three main parties will stick their heads in the sand and avoid an explicit commitment to prevent Britain's population from soaring to 70 million in 20 years, we have set out measures any future Government will have to introduce if we are to tackle this crucial issue before it is too late."

Their starting point is the official projections which show that the population of the UK will reach 70 million in 20 years time and 80 million in 2063 if firm action on immigration is not taken soon.

Even if, quite unexpectedly, the birth rate were to fall to its lowest for a century, population would still reach 70 million in about 2033.

The letter continued: "Effective action on immigration is inescapable unless we wish to see our country, already the most crowded in Europe, become intolerably overcrowded.

"There are no simple solutions, no silver bullets.

"The first step must be a clear political commitment by each of the main parties to set an overall target range for annual net immigration."

Mr Soames stressed the automatic link between residence and eventual citizenship in the UK must be broken to ensure economic recovery was not choked off by denying industry and commerce skilled labour.

He said statements by Labour and Conservative spokesmen to that effect had been welcomed by both himself and Mr Field.

The two MPs are calling for further measures.

There should be more steps to clamp down on the abuse of student visas along with suspension of Tier 1 visas allowing skilled people to enter Britain without a job.

In addition, there should be suspension of the route which allows all foreign graduates of British universities to stay on for two years, competing for jobs with British graduates.

Also, points requirement must be raised for other economic migrants while unemployment in Britain exceeds one million.

Other changes should be:visitors visas applicants must have health insurance as required by all other EU member states; an oral test of English language skills for economic migrants and spouses; no amnesty for illegal immigrants; intensification of efforts to remove those who have no right to be in Britain.

"Mass immigration at present levels generates unacceptable pressures on housing and public services; it also poses a threat to our environment, our quality of life and our social cohesion." he said.