HEREFORDSHIRE Council should receive extra funds from migrant workers to pay for the strain on services.

Immigrants to the UK will have to pay an extra £50 for a visa under plans confirmed by the Government last week. The Migration Impacts Fund, launched by Hazel Blears, will generate between £30 million and £70 million for the UK regions.

The contribution will depend on the size of the authority and the number of migrants accepted each year.

Herefordshire accepted 3,240 migrant workers in 2007/08 – a 55 per cent rise on the previous year and third largest in the UK.

The extra numbers put an additional strain on health, education and local government services. John Burnett, Herefordshire Council press officer, expects other authorities to receive more, but said the money would be welcome.

“We welcome any extra funding which could come to Herefordshire through this scheme,” he said. “There are obviously authorities which receive far greater numbers of migrants than we do, but any extra funding is welcome.”