However, he said: “I’m probably about the only politician I know of who is actually willing to stand up and say that he’s pro-immigration.”
“I believe that when talented people have something to offer a society and a community they should be given the benefit of the doubt,” Mr Johnson added.
Some backbenchers have voiced the opinion that Mr Johnson is the only Conservative capable of combating the threat to the Tories from the UK Independence Party.
However, the Mayor’s views on migration could distance him from backbenchers if he was to ever attempt to become the Conservative leader.
Earlier this year, Mr Johnson called for a one-off amnesty for illegal immigrants.
He challenged the Coalition’s opposition to an amnesty and said that illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay after 12 years in Britain.
Mr Johnson said on Wednesday: “I’m not going to resile from or going to dismiss the notion that you’ve got to be tough on illegal immigration.
“Frankly it was, if I may so, the active decision of the Labour government to turn a complete blind eye that undermined immigration in the eyes of many people in this country.
“And you should think about that because it did serious social damage.”
He added: “I go back in a pedantic way to this distinction between legal and illegal immigration. It is vital that we do make that distinction. I’m probably about the only politician I know of who is actually willing to stand up and say that he’s pro-immigration.”
Mr Johnson then jokes that the only other people backing immigration are the Green Party.
“I’ve got the support of the Greens, great,” Mr Johnson added. “We can build on that. Labour being very quiet, I notice. I believe that when talented people have something to offer a society and a community they should be given the benefit of the doubt and I speak as the descendant of immigrants and all the rest of it.
“But you’ve got to be very, very tough in dealing with people who break the law. They are undermining the credentials and the hard work of everybody else.”
Immigration is not only good in itself, but immigrants make a net financial contribution, as they pay more in taxes than they consume in health and benefit services.
Immigration is favoured by the exploiting capitalist class because they can employ people on very low poverty level wages and salaries.
Which is true – both, neither or one only?
Did you forget how your white asses came on boats, robbed people of their wealth from colonies in East? And killed and tortured them? Did you ´integrate´ then? You Britishers are-were nothing but thieves. Majority British population does not know its own history of crimes against humanity because your government there wants to regiment you with false propaganda and tell you bed time stories about your ´royalty´… who were, as I said, nothing but thieves.
Immigrants, fixing the problems caused by the native Brits, no need to thank them.
Immigrants take less benefits than UK citizens and put more into the pot.
Our old people would be in an even worse situation if we didn’t have immigration.
Its the only way we will pay for the massive costs of our aging population, you clearly don’t like it, but you should get used to it.
From the various ONS reports and such. They pay tax and use relatively less services than aging folk, thus help pay.
We have open borders, that’s not quite the one way stream you suggest. Maybe in a generation or two the movement would be greater, assuming we bother teaching languages to our kids.
I know of many people who have migrated to the continent, some permanent and many older folk for the bulk of the year.
Isn’t that great 🙂
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
We should speak of “100,000” immigrants only 100,000 applicants who must pass a simple entry test,- “will they add value?” a healthy qualified engineer with a good command of English. would add value. An illiterate peasant speaking only an obscure click language with no marketable skill and HIV, would not add value. It really is that simple. The questionnaire should be in the public domain as should the criteria. I will write the computer program for you. All can apply many will be refused, “No policy” should be the policy, just one objective criterion. A criminal record and drug habit would be negative scores in the assessment
i missed the word “nor” as the third word of the above. take the focus off numbers and into criteria