United Kingdom

Immigrants should learn English, says PM

Published on 14 April 2011

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“Cameron: Britain disjointed by mass migration,” headlines the Daily Telegraph, ahead of what the conservative daily terms the British PM’s “most forthright speech” on the issue. Arguing that that immigration has led to "discomfort” because some migrants have been unwilling to integrate or learn English, David Cameron will pledge to cut the numbers entering Britain to “tens of thousands, rather than hundreds of thousands". The Telegraph adds that the PM “will also blame the welfare state for creating a generation of workshy Britons, with figures showing that of the 2.5 million extra people in employment since 1997, three quarters were foreign-born. However, this it is not a case of "immigrants coming over here and taking our jobs", Mr Cameron will point out. He will say that the "real issue" is "migrants are filling gaps in the labour market left wide open by a welfare system that for years has paid British people not to work".

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