Jeremy Corbyn admits limiting immigration is IMPOSSIBLE if we remain in the EU
The Labour leader's shock confession comes as a report finds immigration costs us £17billion a year
JEREMY Corbyn has admitted it will be impossible to put any limit on EU migrants if the country votes Remain.
The Labour leader’s confession, coming as Migration Watch revealed immigration costs us £17billion a year, is a huge boost for Brexit.
Remain-supporting Mr Corbyn made his comments after being asked by the BBC’s Andrew Marr if any kind of upper limit could be put on EU migrants.
He said: “I don’t think you can have one while you have free movement of labour.
“The very principle of a single market across Europe is the free movement of people.”
Mr Corbyn, who has a history of Euroscepticism despite his support for Remain, appeared to slap down his deputy Tom Watson.
Mr Watson last week called for reforms to EU immigration rules to relieve pressure on communities.
There has been a lazy assumption that immigrants are unquestionably an economic benefit to the UK
Lord Green
Mr Corbyn’s admission also angered senior Labour figures, who already fear scores of supporters will back Brexit because of immigration worries.
One senior Labour source said: “I don’t mean to be a conspiracy theorist but you actually wonder if he’s trying to win this for Brexit.”
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Mr Corbyn said rather than restrict free movement the EU needed to develop policies to help poor workers stay in their home countries.
And he suggested British voters worried about the effect of immigration on their local areas should instead blame the Tories for failing to invest in new hospitals and schools.
Brexit campaigner Iain Duncan Smith said: “Finally some honesty from the In campaign, with an admission there is no upper limit on the levels of migration while we remain in the EU.”
Migration Watch yesterday said immigration costs the Treasury £17billion a year.
Most of it is for benefits to those from outside the EU.
But it said East European migrants cost as much as £1.5billion — given the difference between what they contribute to the economy and take out.
Migration Watch’s Lord Green said: “There has been a lazy assumption that immigrants are unquestionably an economic benefit to the UK — but this very much depends on where they came from and when they arrived.”
Mr Corbyn’s comments came as Chancellor George Osborne admitted the Government may only be able to bring net migration down to 180,000 in the coming years — way above David Cameron’s promise to get below 100,000.
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