The Daily Express has attacked migrants again, and is wrong... again

The day must end in the letter 'y' because the Daily Express has splashed on an anti-migrant story. The headline shouts “Migrants Milking Britain’s Benefits”.

The story states:

Migrants were accused of “milking the system” after figures yesterday showed they are more likely to claim benefits than people born in the UK.

However, the story simply doesn't stand up. Here's why:

The migrant population is estimated to be around 12.5 per cent.

However, migrants claim less than 8 per cent of benefits.

So, to say migrants are “milking the system” is statistically untrue.

In fact, if anyone is “milking the system”, in the divisive “us and them” categories of migrants and UK-born which the Express seems so keen on, it’s Britons.

Furthermore, EU migrants are currently on average employed 5.3 percentage points more than those born in the UK, and have been so since approximately 2006.

Employment levels by country of origin do fluctuate:

There are also fewer benefit claimants year on year.

So really, the issue of people “milking the system” is becoming less relevant to our economy anyway, as the government reduces welfare and, as it is so proud of declaring, is clamping down on benefit cheats.

Perhaps the Express should find a new lead, besides, we think they may have done this one before.

More:About that 'migrant baby boom' Daily Express front page