Theresa May: reduce net immigration to zero to bring down house prices

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Communities

The home secretary, Theresa May, has claimed that reducing net immigration to zero could lower house prices by 10% over the next 20 years.

During a speech to the think tank Policy Exchange, Mrs May said: "Uncontrolled, mass immigration displaces British workers, forces people onto benefits, and suppresses wages for the low-paid."

The MP added: “One area in which we can be certain mass immigration has an effect is housing.

“More than one third of all new housing demand in Britain is caused by immigration.

"And there is evidence that without the demand caused by mass immigration, house prices could be 10% lower over a 20-year period.”

The home secretary also announced that from April 2013, 100,000 foreign students will be questioned by border staff as they enter the UK, to "root out abuse" of the system.