Blogs
We publish blogs that draw on data and research, and through them we inform debate, spark discussion, and explore the wider implications of current developments.
Analysis, Commentary and Research Updates
Explore our latest publications on immigration and asylum policies. Stay informed with well-researched insights.
War In Iran Will Only Make Britain’s Migration Crisis Worse
The regional fallouts of the conflict engulfing Iran are yet to reveal themselves, but one catastrophic consequence is definitely not in doubt: Britain’s migration crisis will further deepen. Iran is already the nation from which…
Learn MoreIs The Prime Minister’s Plan Working?
Can the government stop the boats? Speaking in Dover today, the Prime Minister gave an update on his pledge to stop small boats crossing the English Channel. Illegal crossings, he said, are down 20 per…
Learn MoreA Passage From India – Explaining The Unexpected Rise Of Indians Crossing The Channel
This week the government disclosed that in 2023 Indians have been the second largest group of people illegally crossing the English Channel in small boats, making up 18 per cent of all crossings. Although the increase…
Learn MoreFrom Baghdad To Bournemouth – Granting Refuge To Terrorists
It emerged in the Daily Mail recently that among those who illegally entered the UK in a dinghy last year were 19 suspected terrorists, several of whom are thought to have been members of the…
Learn MoreDoes Britain Think Immigration Is Too High?
Polling is central to modern politics. For governments, it is a means of testing public reaction to policies. More and more nowadays it is done with focus groups to test the popularity or otherwise of…
Learn MoreResponding To Labour Shortages – Is More Immigration The Answer?
Since leaving the European Union and emerging from the Covid-19 Pandemic, the topic of workforce immigration has rarely been far from the headlines. Whether it is increasing the number of agricultural workers, nurses or hospitality staff…
Learn MoreWhat’s The News On Modern Slavery Abuse Among Asylum Seekers?
In recent years, the amount of modern slavery claims being made by asylum seekers has risen substantially. In 2022, claims reached a high of 17,000 of which just a quarter were for sole UK nationals. Earlier this…
Learn MoreImmigration Rises To 1.3 Million: Visa Grants For Foreigners To Live Here Double In 3 Years
The number of visa grants for people to come and live in the UK has more than doubled from over half a million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022 (see the full Home Office bulletinand our press…
Learn MoreNearly 7 In 10 Of Those Coming In Boats Are Young Men As 500% Increase In Afghan Dinghy Arrivals Helps Drive Surging Illegal Immigration
The figures show that 54,090 people attempted to enter illegally in 2022, and 45,755 of these by small boat. The boat figures are an increase of 1.6 times on the number of people that arrived…
Learn More24,000 People Illegally Crossed The Channel This Year But Just Five Have Been Returned
There have just five removals in 2021 of illegal cross-Channel migrants to safe European countries. The news was revealed by a government minister under questioning by a Parliamentary Committee in November 2021. In the Summer of 2019, the-then new Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned illegal Channel immigrants not to come otherwise ‘we
What Do The Public Think About Illegal Channel Crossings?
55% of the public, including 77% of voters who backed the Tories at the last election, believe the Government’s approach to managing Channel crossings is “too soft”, according to a Redfield and Wilton Strategies poll published in late November 2021 (see report here). The news comes as November 2021 saw the highest number of
Home Secretary Dodges Question Of Whether Immigration Will Go Up Or Down
In November 2019 (before the most recent General Election), the Home Secretary pledged that immigration would come down as a result of planned reforms to the immigration system. See Times article – ‘Election 2019: We will reduce migration, pledges Patel‘, November 2019. Immigration by non-UK citizens has run at about 560,000 per year (2015-20),
Uk’s Eight Million Population Rise Drives Congestion, Gridlock And Declining Quality Of Life
The relentless expansion of the UK’s population is coming to a head as new figures from the ONS suggest that the country has reached the landmark level of 67 million. The British population has risen by around 430,000 each year since 2000, an amount equivalent to bringing in nearly the population
Experimental Official Research: Net Migration In Year To June 2020 Was 247,000
Migration statistics can be used to estimate the flow of migrants in and out of the UK and to estimate the number of migrants living in the UK (the stock). One estimate of the flow of migrants is the United Nations definition of a migrant; someone who moves to another
Our Written Evidence On The Government’s Proposed Asylum Reforms
The government announced changes to the immigration and asylum system in March 2021. See the Home Secretary’s statement to Parliament on the government’s proposals. A policy statement is available here. Migration Watch UK welcomes the government’s renewed efforts to deter illegal immigration and tackle asylum abuse. Illegal entry is “most common method