Thread by @Helenreflects

Brief thread: I've been thinking, it has become increasingly clear that net migration from the EU now already is at sustainable levels. So why this banging on about sustainable levels, arbitrarily set in the 10,000s? Just a brief recap 1/

https://twitter.com/The3Million/status/1033104805235961856

If EU migration ends or is drastically reduced, the @dailytelegraph says that women (yeah...) would have to quit their jobs to care for their ageing parents due to lack of EU carers 2/ telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…

Already now, fruit is rotting on the fields due to lack of EU fruit pickers If EU migration ends or is drastically reduced, then say goodbye to your raspberries 3/
news.sky.com/story/brexit-f…

Already now, there's a shortage of doctors and nurses due to drops in EU-based doctors and nurses coming in the UK. 4/
uk.reuters.com/article/us-bri…

Also, “The hospitality, warehousing and food and drink sectors rely heavily on EU nationals and if they can’t continue to fill these roles we risk damage to supply chains that will affect all our daily lives.” 5/
peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/…

Ah you may say, but it's the British people. It's the Will of the People to end migration. We can't give the people an end to austerity, but let's at least turf out the foreigners to make them happy. Problem is, this narrative is incorrect. 6/

In fact, attitudes towards migration in the UK are now more positive than a few years ago.
ft.com/content/b9cfac…

Is it because people expect that migration will fall after Brexit? No, surprisingly, the positive attitude is across the board, also with people who believe net migration will increase, as this rigorous article shows: 8/ medium.com/@robfordmancs/…

Ok, so in the light of all this, why does @carolinenokes bang on about reducing net migration to the 10,000s? It is not desirable for the country (see above) and the public don't want it either, certainly not at any price (staying home for your older parents, anyone?) 9/

It's the old, tired narrative of blaming immigrants.
In the first place, calling EU citizens who exercise treaty rights immigrant is a peculiar thing the British do. Just like they have invented this weird concept of "net contributor" to the EU under Thatcher... 10/

While EU citizens contribute to the coffers and the working-age population, you blame them for the effects of austerity. Old trick, but aided by the Murdoch press, it certainly works. 11/

Also, here's the thing. Many politicians in power don't like foreigners, ignoring their plight. But it's so convenient to project one's own xenophobia on an indistinct will of the people to reduce net migration to the 10,000s. /ends

theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/a…