The Reform UK MP believes large-scale immigration is placing a huge strain on welfare and public services.
Lee Anderson issued a warning about the strain immigration places on UK infrastructure (Image: GETTY)
Lee Anderson has accused officials of purposely withholding financial data related to the cost of mass immigration due to its potential to incite a public backlash.
According to the Reform UK MP for Ashfield, the government’s reluctance to release specific figures on the cost of migration suggests they are “afraid” of the backlash such data might provoke.
Speaking last night, he told GB News‘ Martin Daubney: “I think what they’re afraid of is what the data will actually say.”
Revelations would likely prove “quite embarrassing, not just for this government, but for the previous government as well”, Mr Anderson claimed.
He further argued that a lack of transparency shielded those in power from accountability regarding a system that, he claims, burdens UK taxpayers significantly.
Mr Anderson’s concerns align with recent migration statistics that underscore a record increase in arrivals.
In the year ending June 2023, net migration to the UK reached a historical high of 745,000, driven by an influx of 1.2 million long-term arrivals and 508,000 departures.
Among new arrivals, non-EU migrants constituted the largest group, with 423,000 entering the UK on work visas and 349,000 on study visas.
Mr Anderson argued that many of these new arrivals place a strain on welfare and public services, suggesting that at least half a million of them have applied for Universal Credit, effectively drawing more from the state than they contribute.
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel (Image: PA)
He said: “If 500,000 people get Universal Credit in this country, they’re taking more out of this Treasury than what they’re paying in. And this is the problem here.”
Mr Anderson also voiced particular frustration with the perceived inequities in welfare distribution, especially when British citizens, who have contributed to the system throughout their lives, struggle to access similar benefits.
He said: “They’ll be looking at these figures, and it’s absolutely astonishing and they’ll think to themselves, was it all worth it?
“I’ll tell you what, there will be some pensioners sat here watching this tonight, who’ve just had their winter fuel payment taken away from them after putting a shift in the last 50 years in this country.
The disparity, Mr Anderson said, forces long-standing British taxpayers to bear the costs of supporting recent arrivals who may not have contributed to the UK economy over the long term. In addition to welfare, Mr Anderson pointed to a wider financial strain on public services. He claims that the costs of education, healthcare and social services for migrants quickly add up.
For example, he estimated that the cost of educating children of new migrants could total between £15,000 and £30,000 per child, a cost which falls largely on UK taxpayers.
Healthcare expenses, housing subsidies and council support are other areas he highlights as overburdened by increased immigration. Moreover, he raises the issue of crime, asserting that “a lot of foreign nationals who are committing crimes are languishing in our jails,” which costs taxpayers between £40,000 and £50,000 per inmate annually.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
Mr Anderson emphasised: “This is our money. This is our money over decades,” while accusing the government of failing to address the long-term economic implications of immigration.
He added: “We’re continually being told by people up there at the top that mass migration is a good thing. It benefits the country. Anybody with an ounce of common sense can see that it doesn’t.
“We’ve got people coming into the country who are not net contributors; they’re takers. They’re takers from the system.”
According to Mr Anderson, this imbalance not only places undue pressure on public services but also undermines the contributions of long-time British taxpayers who have sustained these systems for decades.
Mr Anderson pushed for a more economically focused immigration policy, with migrants evaluated on their potential contribution.
He continued: “We need people to come into this country to make a profit, not to make a loss. When they come in, what sort of job are they going to do, and how much are they going to be paying into the Treasury through their income tax and National Insurance each week?”
In a message aimed at Sir Keir Starmer’s Government, he said.: “I think they are scared of actually delving down and getting these figures out, because it would shock the entire nation what it’s costing us.”
