Generally throughout the middle east employers and middle men are responsible for immigrants as per above. I too believe that this is a good idea and can go someway to stopping the overpopulation of unemployed and freeloading immigrants.

We are all too busy talking about boat crossing and illegal immigrants and completely avoiding another impending issue waiting in the winds to blow up. This is of a larger scale than the boats.

In recent years there has been an implosion of people coming across legally on funny visa's such as care etc. They are legal, however, what is not is the fact that these visa's have been granted on the basis of of a company or agency (supposed employer) which is actually owned/controlled by the same person promoting and being paid £15k-£25k a pop to get the buyers into the UK. Some of them are genuine people seeking opportunities (having sold off assets they own from arriving countries) who upon arriving on the shores find that there is no employment or company or that the agency/employer closes a day before/after after they arrive. The middle man/.woman/company has made its monies and cares very little and no one comes after them and even if they do they close shop and start again, rinse and repeat. On top the large transactions have been in cash and often away from the UK so the taxman does not get any of it either.

Now these people, genuine or not are in the UK with no jobs or chances or getting employment, but are here legally until their visa's run out and when that happens just watch the immigration figures and benefits numbers look llike. One also has to remember that these people with no income have no means of going back or have nothing to go back to and will be left with nothing to do but run or operate in the black economy.

If however the middle people or companies were held responsible, we may see a different outcome. On top the government could ask for a deposit to be put down for repatriation to pay for the ticket back (and still fine, imprison, enforce penalties on said middle person until an illegal immigrant is repatriated) then we may get a better outcome and in turn should attract genuine people with qualifications and skills the country needs. But I am sure that there is group who will say that it is coercive, immoral, illegal and find some law to say it should not be allowed - human rights is a good one (not saying human rights should be abolished at all before anyone pulls the trigger)

But then again the government would likely dip into that pot to fund themselves and also lose the political football to rally the lay.

Just waiting for the bang ! Could come just before election or stored for some other political use.

Nice couple of articles looking at "tax burden" data across the OECD countries and how the UK compares:

This one looks at tax as %ofGDP https://www.taxpolicy.org.uk/2023/09/19/oecd2021/

And this one at tax paid by the "average worker" as % of gross wages https://www.taxpolicy.or...k/2023/09/20/wedge2022/

Does this incorporate data which includes factors such as those who do not pay tax. I mean if you take 10 millionaires and they pay £100k each but you have 90 non tax payers, then the average goes down does it not.
Also certain countries do not have many millionaires and is a fairer society but everyone pays tax, so their average is more realistic.

Are we in the UK in a dystopian society where HMRC only has eyes on the people who actually report and pay tax and thus the HMRC goes after them but is only trying to get others to join this party with mere threats by tv adverts and drop in the mat hopeful letters - whereas everything including the kitchen sink s thrown as Mrs Miggins the 85 year old who forgot to put her £150 interest from the post office savings account on her tax return and thus had not paid the £30 tax.

Then you. have the mega-corps (and the savvy legal and tax experts) who take full advantage of the complex legal company structures which a very small section of UK elites promote to the rest of the world in the guise of services and whos income is all in offshore hubs around the world. Thus out of the purview of the both the UK legal and tax systems. - In other words Britains second empire.

We need to think about ways of raising taxes through the older generation to fund spending plans, and in the event of Labour coming to power this year, bigly.

My thoughts are

1) No state pension until you retire (clear the deadwood, give youth its head).

2) Make everyone pay back to HMRC the pension uplift accrued through working life. The second option seems particularly fair, given that pensions have become (for many) the principle vehicle for passing on a legacy.

I would say scrap Trident and save £200 billion. Reducing the tax-burden is a different argument.

But if we have to up the tax-take ..and we do.. and if the burden should fall on the generations particularly advantaged by the tax-regime..and it should..what is your alternative?