A report by a committee of Britain's House of Lords says what we've been saying for years--that immigration does not help the economy of the receiving country. It may help the immigrants, it may help employers of cheap labor, it may help the folks at home that immigrants send money to, but it doesn't help the economy.

Immigration is not a benefit to the economy and should be cut, say peers - Times Online April 1, 2008

By Richard Ford, Home Correspondent

Immigration should be capped, according to a parliamentary report published today which concludes that record numbers of new immigrants have had ”little or no impact” on economic well being.

Some groups, including the low-paid, young people seeking jobs and some ethnic minorities, may have suffered because of competition for work from immigrants willing to accept low wages and poor working conditions.

Today’s report, from the Lords Economic Affairs Committee, whose members include two former Conservative Chancellors of the Exchequer, seeks to undermine the Government’s claim that record levels of immigration have boosted the economy.

It also sets out to demolish a range of arguments in favour of immigration, including the one that foreigners are needed to prevent labour shortages and also to help to support an increasingly ageing population.[More]