EU Immigration
1. Under the free movement rules of the European Union, EU citizens possess the right to enter and reside in the UK without the need to obtain a visa (and British citizens currently have the right to move to other EU states in a similar manner). EU citizens do not need to show proof of […]
Immigration and Economics
Evidence of a fiscal cost 1. Estimating the impact of immigration on the Exchequer is a complex matter in practice. There are few precise statistics available to the public so results very much depend on the assumptions made by researchers who have to estimate . what is paid in direct and indirect taxes by migrants […]
Statistical Failures Should Not Obscure The Huge Gulf Between Politicians And The Public Over Immigration
By Alp Mehmet, Daily Telegraph, 22 August 2019 The public will rightly approach the new immigration figures, which estimate that 226,000 more long-term migrants moved here than departed in the year ending March 2019, with a healthy dose of scepticism. That is only natural in the wake of an admission by the Office for National Statistics […]
How The Immigration White Paper Flies In The Face Of The Findings And Recommendations Of Government’s Own Migration Advisory Committee
Summary Notwithstanding the change of Prime Minister and Home Secretary, it appears that the December 2018 Immigration White Paper is still to form the basis of future immigration policy after Brexit. The government claim to have been guided by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in drawing up these proposals and, following pressure from the corporate […]
Jobs and Welfare
Economic characteristics of migrants to the UK 1. Research by Migration Watch UK has shown significant differences in the economic profiles of migrants from different countries (our paper: ‘Economic characteristics of migrants in the UK in 2014’). For example, migrants from Western European countries had higher wages and lower rates of claim to key benefits […]
Pressure on Healthcare, Schools, Roads and Trains
The NHS Education Social housing Transport / Environment View of the public Pressure on healthcare, schools, roads and trains – full briefing 1. Between 2001 and 2016, the UK population rose by a total of 6.6 million. More than 80% of this increase was the result of immigration (see our paper). Rapid population growth will continue […]
Population
Recent Population Growth 1. The population now stands at 66.4 million (mid-2018) – see graph below. The latest ONS figures (for 2018) suggest the non-UK born population stands at 9.3 million (just over 14% of the total) of whom 3.6 million are from the EU and 5.7 million are from outside the EU. Figure: UK population growth […]
Illegal Immigration – Key Topic
The Definition of an Illegal Immigrant 1. Illegal immigrants do not have the right to remain in the UK. They may have entered legally but failed to leave when they were required to do so. Alternatively, they may have entered the UK illegally. Cost of illegal immigration for the UK 2. The substantial illegal population […]
The Government Should Restore The £30,000 Pay Threshold For Foreign Workers
The government have lowered the pay threshold for applicants for skilled work permits from £30,000 per year to £25,600. It was part of a package enacted by the government which hugely weakened work visa safeguards during a massive jobs crisis. This was not the “best and brightest” idea, nor was it in the interests of the UK’s […]
Housing
1. We are in the midst of a housing crisis. There are too many people chasing too few homes. This has grave implications for the affordability of accommodation, especially for young people. What is driving demand for housing? 2. Immigration is a key factor. 90% of additional households created in England were headed by a […]