London, Nov.2 : Migrants are reportedly being given preferential treatment when it comes to allocating homes to them in Britain according to the chief of the newly formed Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

Trevor Phillips has said that there is a need to investigate whether white families in Britain are being discriminated against because of the British political class's desire to secure the support of the migrant votebank by placing the issue of immigration at the top of their respective agendas.

"People are realistic about migration and accept that services have to be shared. What does drive tension and hostility is a widespread public perception that migrants too often get unfair advantages to which they are not entitled. And one area where this idea of unfairness is most frequently alleged is in housing allocation. Specifically, that white families are cheated out of their right to social housing by newly arrived migrants,” The Sun quoted Phillips, as saying.

Figures released yesterday show that between spring 2005 and June 2007, 540,000 non-Brits took up UK jobs. The number of Brit workers in employment fell by 270,000 over the same period.

The Gordon Brown Government is already being pilloried for revising its figure for the number of foreigners in jobs since 1997 from 800,000 to 1.5million.

But Employment Minister Caroline Flint insists that “There are opportunities for British workers with nearly 660,000 vacancies waiting to be filled.”

Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green, however, counters Flint's statement by saying: “As this week has gone on Gordon Brown’s pledge is proving ever more foolish.”  (ANI)