It is irritating and confusing that David Cameron and UKIP, who now seem to be in partnership, are making the case that the immigration problem is something to do with the EU.

This is totally misleading.

There was a net inflow of 260,000 migrants last year, nearly all of this was accounted for by the 272,000 immigration of non EU citizens. (see ONS Migration Statistics Quarterly Report, November 2014)

Most migration within the EU is temporary with flows in and out, depending on where the best jobs are within a county, country or region. It is not a problem and it would be counterproductive to try to stop or reduce the free flow of EU citizens.

Non EU migrants are largely one way flows from areas with low standards of living to those where there are more long term opportunities. The UK has accepted millions of migrants from South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean over the last half century, and still they come, and  rarely go back. On balance this movement has been very good and the UK is now multiethnic and multicultural, but we need to have a policy for how many migrants we need and can cope with. Research by the UN and guesstimates by the government suggest that 40,000 a year is about right to maintain an otherwise falling and ageing population.

It is disingenuous to argue, as Teresa May does, that the government has reduced the inflow of non EU citizens. It has, a little, but 272,000 in migration from non EU countries is the issue that needs to be addressed. It cannot be addressed by making a fuss about the free movement of EU citizens.

Threatening the future of our membership of the EU over free movement of EU citizens is nothing but a ploy by UKIP and the right wing of the Conservative Party. It has no relevance to the issue of migration and population growth..

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