Eurosceptic calls to quit the EU over immigration don’t give a true reflection of how immigration benefits Britain’s economy and public services, says Business for New Europe. The pro-European business campaign was responding to the publication of the latest section of Change or Go, a report by anti-European group Business for Britain. British exit would also pose difficulties for British expatriates living in EU countries, BNE said.

Lucy Thomas, Campaign Director of Business for New Europe, said:

“It is certainly novel to see a business group promoting policies which will directly damage British business. As this report admits, recent studies have shown “a net economic benefit from EEA migration.” British businesses – most recently the housebuilder Crest Nicholson and the recruitment company Manpower – are solidly in favour of the free movement of workers in order to fill UK labour shortages. No visa system would be as effective in doing this as the EU’s free movement of people.

“As Business for Britain’s report makes clear, leaving the EU would not automatically mean we could close our borders. In order to continue to be part of the world’s largest market, we would need to accept free movement of people. Norway and Switzerland both have to accept EU migrants in order to continue their membership of the single market. Leaving the Single Market in order to marginally reduce net migration would be an appalling trade-off.”