DUNCAN BARKES: Why do bosses go for overseas workers?

One such worker believes that local people are not prepared to work in factories, as the labour is too hard. He could be right.

Do some British people think that certain jobs are beneath them?

Immigration is a sore point in Boston.

Over the last few years an estimated 9000 migrant workers have settled in the town.

Protesters have concerns about the impact on local services and claim that valuable jobs are being taken.

But why would local employers rather employ a worker from overseas than a Brit?

In West Sussex many of the local agricultural jobs, such as the picking and packing of produce, are filled by migrant workers.

Their employers will tell you that they are (mostly) a trouble-free workforce; hard workers who don’t complain and who are grateful for a job.

Sadly, they cannot always say the same of their British workers.

UK teenagers are entering the job market today to find themselves competing with overseas applicants who are better qualified.

If you were an employer, who would you hire?

I know it is not fashionable to support education secretary Michael Gove and his reforms, but I think they are desperately needed.

I also believe that a culture exists whereby some people think that working in a hotel, factory, packing plant or in a field picking produce is beneath them.

When faced with migrant workers grateful to fulfil such positions who can blame an employer for giving the gig to the person who genuinely expresses a desire to do the job?

Of course we need to keep a careful eye on immigration numbers and ensure that local services do not suffer, but to paint migrant workers as job thieves is just plain wrong.