Government's surrender to populism on immigration sends wrong message - Parsley

10.25.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 24th Oct 2006

Alliance Youth Wing Chair, Ian James Parsley

The Chairman of the Alliance Party's youth wing, Ian James Parsley, has slammed the Government's announcement of restrictions on immigration from within the EU as unworkable, and said they play into the hands of scaremongers.

The North Down Councillor stated: "I share my party colleague Séan Neeson's disgust at the Government's restrictions on immigration. Not for the first time, politicians are playing into the hands of the petty populists rather than showing leadership based on facts.

"Firstly, this decision sends out the wrong message to immigrants already here and those who are working so hard to welcome them. The xenophobic scaremongers have been given ammunition by their own government. The underlying idea is that immigrants who have come to contribute are not really welcome - what kind of message is that to

send out?

"Secondly, this goes against the whole point of the European Single Market. You cannot have a single market without free trade and free movement of labour, including people. That is the essence of what is required to make Europe genuinely competitive against North America and the growing economies in China and India.

"Thirdly, the restrictions are unworkable. The Government is simply seeking to be seen to act without really having to do so.

"There are very real problems with immigration - planning pressures, road safety, challenges to small businesses. But instead of dealing with these, the Government is simply giving fuel to the populist scaremongers.

"Small wonder so many people right across the UK are giving up on the democratic system."

ENDS