20 July 2016
Responding to Amber Rudd's comments on reducing net migration to the UK this morning, Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett said:
“We need urgently to change the way we talk about migration - particularly in light of the rise in xenophobia we have seen since the EU referendum.
“Migrants make a huge contribution to this country - socially, culturally and economically - and it’s time politicians had the backbone to be clear about that.
“We need to ensure that the benefits of migration are shared by everyone, and that areas seeing a lot of new arrivals are properly supported. But blaming migrants for the pressure on public services which is being caused by chronic underfunding and privatisation is divisive and wrong.
“We should remember too that cutting down migration to the UK would have to mean Britons losing our ability to live and work all across Europe. The Green Party has a proud history of standing up for migrants and we will continue to champion the benefits of free movement. We're particularly pushing at present for the government to provide security and certainty for the millions of citizens from other parts of the EU who've made their lives in the UK. They cannot be left with more than two years of uncertainty and fear."