Referendum 2016: Immigration

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There was a direct clash of views between two of our experts.

Jonathan Portes from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research spoke about the cost "benefits" of having migrants here – as opposed to them being a drain on the welfare state: 

Quote Message: Migrants also pay taxes, especially migrants from Europe. They are actually more likely to be in work, they are much more likely to be of working age. Remember ... most of the money ... the welfare state spends goes on old people and to some extent on kids – it doesn't go to people of working age

Migrants also pay taxes, especially migrants from Europe. They are actually more likely to be in work, they are much more likely to be of working age. Remember ... most of the money ... the welfare state spends goes on old people and to some extent on kids – it doesn't go to people of working age

But Harriet Sergeant from the Centre For Policy Studies strongly disagreed:  

Quote Message: 75% of migrants go into low paid jobs – that means that they are getting housing benefits, tax credits, they're getting child benefit. So we are in this extraordinary position where we are actually subsidising migrants to take low paid jobs and sidelining other people who could have been doing those jobs

75% of migrants go into low paid jobs – that means that they are getting housing benefits, tax credits, they're getting child benefit. So we are in this extraordinary position where we are actually subsidising migrants to take low paid jobs and sidelining other people who could have been doing those jobs

Then another clash – this time on the number of migrants entering the country...

Harriet Sergeant said:

Quote Message: We have no control over the numbers. If Greece simply collapsed tomorrow, which could be possible, the whole of Greece could move here. There's nothing stopping numbers

We have no control over the numbers. If Greece simply collapsed tomorrow, which could be possible, the whole of Greece could move here. There's nothing stopping numbers

 Which David Hanson MP took issue with...   

Quote Message: But the whole of Greece is not going to move here, the whole of France is not going to move here

But the whole of Greece is not going to move here, the whole of France is not going to move here

Then Evan put pro-Brexiteer Kwasi Kwarteng on the spot. Would he accept a single market without restrictions on freedom of movement? Mr Kwarteng replied:

Quote Message: If they were to say you could only join the single market if you have unrestricted migration from Europe I would probably say no to that

If they were to say you could only join the single market if you have unrestricted migration from Europe I would probably say no to that

David Hanson MP said it was worthwhile to accept freedom of movement and explained why:

Quote Message: The issue is, do we want, as the United Kingdom, to have access to a 500 million market, with investment and sales across Europe? If we do, freedom of movement is part of that...

The issue is, do we want, as the United Kingdom, to have access to a 500 million market, with investment and sales across Europe? If we do, freedom of movement is part of that...

We also heard from the audience on EU migration. Caroline, headteacher of a school in Grantham, said:

Quote Message: We have an amount of migrants in the school population, we find that they integrate very, very well with our strong pastoral support system... The Eastern Europeans add another dimension to our school... They add the cultural aspect, the work ethic, the parents contribute as well as the students

We have an amount of migrants in the school population, we find that they integrate very, very well with our strong pastoral support system... The Eastern Europeans add another dimension to our school... They add the cultural aspect, the work ethic, the parents contribute as well as the students

... But local business owner Darren Bevan didn't agree. He said EU migration has helped his business stay competitive.

"The effect of migration has been a very positive one."

Here's how the programme started... with Angie Cook, a local business owner - who is not happy about the level of migration in Boston.

She says her business has been ruined.

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What do some of our undecided voters think after watching the show at home – have their views on migration changed?

Padraig Stapleton says his views were strengthened by the discussion:

Quote Message: I agreed with a lot of the people saying that Polish and Latvian migrants are some of the friendliest and most hardworking people

I agreed with a lot of the people saying that Polish and Latvian migrants are some of the friendliest and most hardworking people

Quote Message: A lot of people are moving back at the moment because of the high cost of living in the UK. So I think migration will go down. People are panicking when they don't need to.

A lot of people are moving back at the moment because of the high cost of living in the UK. So I think migration will go down. People are panicking when they don't need to.

Michelle Joseph Brown also thinks her stance was confirmed by the guests' views:

Quote Message: I think that immigration is a positive because... they are workers rather than benefits claimants

I think that immigration is a positive because... they are workers rather than benefits claimants

Quote Message: There do need to be stronger border controls or a points system

There do need to be stronger border controls or a points system

Quote Message: I'm not sure how that will be incorporated into free movement though

I'm not sure how that will be incorporated into free movement though

One of our guests tonight was Boston GP Dr Rohini Deshmukh. She told us they are struggling to cope with numbers – but it would be "unethical" to turn people away from registering. 

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Migration isn’t just a one-way street, you know. Lots of Brits live on the continent. But how many, exactly?

Lots of politicians like to quote the number of UK citizens living and working in other EU countries at two million – Nicola Sturgeon was at it just the other month.

The figures are based on research by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank in 2010, which put the number between 1.8 and 2.2 million.

But wonk wars broke out in 2014 when research by the Migration Observatory at Oxford University – based on the newly-published Census – estimated just 1.1 million UK-born people were living on the continent in 2011.

The biggest battalions of Brits (is that the right collective noun?) are to be found in Spain and in Ireland. In 2014 there were 314,421 and 233,248 UK citizens residing there respectively, according to Eurostat.

The DWP compiles a list of pensioners living in the EU – to check the latest figures country by country, click here.

For more EU fact checking, head over to our colleagues at BBC Reality Check.

Quote Message: We have an amount of migrants in the school population, we find that they integrate very, very well with our strong pastoral support system... The Eastern Europeans add another dimension to our school... They add the cultural aspect, the work ethic, the parents contribute as well as the students. from Caroline Head Teacher

We have an amount of migrants in the school population, we find that they integrate very, very well with our strong pastoral support system... The Eastern Europeans add another dimension to our school... They add the cultural aspect, the work ethic, the parents contribute as well as the students.

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Quote Message: There was a point a couple of years ago where they were deciding to close the maternity unit and following that the paediatric unit at the Pilgrim Hospital because of there not being enough deliveries...and that would be really dreadful for women in labour. from Dr Rohini Deshmukh local doctor

There was a point a couple of years ago where they were deciding to close the maternity unit and following that the paediatric unit at the Pilgrim Hospital because of there not being enough deliveries...and that would be really dreadful for women in labour.

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What do you think? We're now off air but the debate continues online. Get involved using #newsnight

Quote Message: Harriet is right in one sense. As long as we're members of the EU and vote to remain, free movement means we don't have control over our numbers...but if we had control we'd still have hard choices about economics. from Jonathan Portes National Institute of Economic and Social

Harriet is right in one sense. As long as we're members of the EU and vote to remain, free movement means we don't have control over our numbers...but if we had control we'd still have hard choices about economics.

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Quote Message: The issue is, do we want, as the United Kingdom, to have access to a 500 million market, with investment and sales across Europe? If we do, freedom of movement is part of that... from David Hanson MP Security Minister 2009-10

The issue is, do we want, as the United Kingdom, to have access to a 500 million market, with investment and sales across Europe? If we do, freedom of movement is part of that...

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Quote Message: If they were to say you could only join the single market if you have unrestricted migration from Europe I would probably say no to that. from Kwasi Kwarteng Conservative MP

If they were to say you could only join the single market if you have unrestricted migration from Europe I would probably say no to that.

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Can any Tom, Dick or Harriet enter the UK at will if they have a passport from an EU member state?

Well, no. The Government has the authority to stop EU immigrants from entering the UK if they fall foul of certain specific criteria.

The Home Office say that, since 2010, more than 6,500 EU nationals had been denied entry. Last year, 2,165 EU passengers were turned away.

Entry can be blocked on grounds of public policy, public security or public health, according to EU rules, though any EU national denied entry must represent a “genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests in society”.

Just having a plain old criminal conviction does not constitute grounds for refusal.

And to put the 6,500 figure in context, in just one year (2014 – the latest available) about 35 million EEA and Swiss passengers, excluding Brits, presented themselves at our border controls.

For more EU fact checking, head over to our colleagues at BBC Reality Check.

Quote Message: We have no control over the numbers. If Greece simply collapsed tomorrow, which could be possible, the whole of Greece could move here. There's nothing stopping numbers. from Harriet Sergeant Research Fellow for the Centre For Policy Studies

We have no control over the numbers. If Greece simply collapsed tomorrow, which could be possible, the whole of Greece could move here. There's nothing stopping numbers.

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Which David Hanson MP took issue with...

Quote Message: But the whole of Greece is not going to move here, the whole of France is not going to move here. from David Hanson MP Security Minister 2009-10

But the whole of Greece is not going to move here, the whole of France is not going to move here.

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