Madam,

Neil Hamilton’s letter (Cambrian News, 27 February) about our border is at best described as naïve, ill-informed, scare-mongering and deeply offensive.

He is simply repeating UKIP’s rhetoric that all Britain’s problems are caused by immigrants and the EU. Referring to the desperate refugees in Calais, he acknowledges the difficulties in differentiating between refugees and economic migrants but then, without any evidence, asserts they are mostly migrants!

Britain needs immigrants. What would our NHS, farms, hotels and restaurants, builders, universities, sports teams, etc be like without immigrants? Some of our Olympic champions are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Many immigrants have expert skills in medicine, science, engineering and technology and are in great demand throughout Britain. Rather than blame low wages on immigrants it would be more effective to challenge those employers who pay their workers less than the living wage.

Rather than swamping our public services, those very services are utterly dependent on migrant labour. It is a key responsibility of government and councils to provide adequate resources - housing, schools and healthcare - to all its citizens to ensure that everyone can enjoy a high quality of life in a diverse multi-cultural community.

Mr Hamilton seems to be confused between migration between European countries and those seeking asylum here from war-torn countries further afield. The Conservative Government’s pathetic welcome to so few refugees from Syria is a national disgrace.

Messrs Cameron, Farage and Hamilton are completely out of tune with all those residents of Ardudwy who have generously given loads of clothes, tents and blankets, through the churches, to the refugees in Calais and Kos.

I also challenge Mr Hamilton’s final re-mark that the only way to protect our public services is to leave the EU. We should remember that the EU was created over 60 years ago out of a desire to make Europe peaceful following the two catastrophic world wars. The EU has been instrumental in improving the environment, protecting workers’ safety and rights, including maternity leave and holiday entitlements, facilitating collaborative international research in academia and industry, attracting inward investment and free trade, supporting farming and providing aid to the poorest regions in Europe.

Wales receives more back from the EU than it pays in.

We would not have the Porthmadog bypass, the new Pont Brewit or the new facilities at Harlech Castle, to name but a few local beneficiaries, without EU money.

Why would we want to turn away from the EU when we are stronger, more secure and better-off staying within it and helping to make it even more effective?

Yours etc

Dr David Naylor

Harlech.