Opinion: 'Immigration brings massive benefits to our economy'

Evidence suggests it's likely that most of the people being housed in the Great Northern Hotel are genuine refugees, writes Lib Dem Councillor Nick Sandford.

Government should focus on processing the massive backlog of asylum claims. Immigration of all kinds brings massive benefits to our economy and helps make Peterborough a diverse and thriving city.

At last week’s Full Council meeting, I asked a question about issue of asylum seekers being housed temporarily at the Great Northern Hotel.

I asked specifically what justification the Council had for alleging that they pose a “risk to strategic infrastructure”, as stated in a recent City Council press release?

I also pointed out that a recent report from the Home Affairs Select Committee stated that of the refugees arriving in the UK in small boats in 2021, only 4% had so far had their asylum claims processed and of these over 80% were found to be genuine refugees fleeing persecution in their home country, as opposed to economic migrants seeking a better life.In reply, I was told by Council deputy leader, Steve Allen, that the Council does not consider the refugees themselves to be a threat but they fear they might become a target for terrorists or political extremists.

Of course, that could only possibly be true if people know the refugees are there: which makes the activities of our MP in filming social media posts outside the hotel all the more concerning.

One of the reasons refugees want to come to Britain, is that for centuries our country has been seen as a safe place for people fleeing persecution. It’s time our Government started focussing on assessing and processing the massive backlog of asylum claims, rather than trying to demonise the asylum seekers themselves.

Although some politicians may prefer not to recognise it, there is ample evidence that immigration is on balance a big positive for the UK economy, regardless of whether people come as asylum seekers (like people from Syria or Afghanistan) or economic migrants (from Eastern Europe during the period of our EU membership).

Over recent decades, Peterborough has had successive waves of immigration and we are now the third fastest growing city in the country: those two facts are not unconnected.

We now have large communities who can trace their origins back to Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Italy, Pakistan, Uganda and many other countries. And, for the most part, all these communities live in harmony with each other and help to make Peterborough a diverse, colourful and thriving city.

In my year as deputy mayor, I am trying to meet with as many of Peterborough’s diverse communities and different religious faiths as I can: to help them celebrate what is best about Peterborough and how they are contributing to it.

So far, together with my deputy mayoress Bella Saltmarsh, I have visited two mosques and the Sikh temple as well as churches from various Christian denominations, celebrated Republic Day with the Italian community, hosted groups of Lithuanians and Latvians at the Town Hall, celebrated Thanksgiving at the US air base at Alconbury…… and many others. We have also visited local companies, charities and school events. I have assisted the Mayor in hosting monthly coffee mornings at the Town Hall and “tea and cake” drop in for elderly and isolated residents from rural areas around Peterborough.

I am always keen to do more, so if you are running an event that you would like myself or the Mayor to attend, please don’t hesitate to ask. Email: mayor@peterborough.gov.uk