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.
Economics Of Migration
A letter from Sir Andrew GreenThe Tablet, London Your leader article (“What migrants do for us”, 6 January) described as “tendentious” Migrationwatch analysis which suggested that the economic benefit of migration is marginal. Some government ministers still…
Learn More“strangers Into Citizens”?
IntroductionThe Roman Catholic Church and others are supporting a “strangers into citizens”campaign. This note summarises the case against it. The ProposalThe proposal is that “undocumentedmigrants” who have been living (illegally) in Britain for four yearsshould be…
Learn More“Strangers into citizens”? | Migration Watch UK
IntroductionThe Roman Catholic Church and others are supporting a “strangers into citizens” campaign. This note summaries the case against it. The ProposalThe proposal is that “undocumented migrants” who have been living (illegally) in Britain for…
Learn MoreStudent ‘Scams’ provide yet another back door into Britain | Migration Watch UK
Further evidence that current procedures are failing to prevent major scams within the immigration system is revealed in a new report out today from think-tank Migrationwatch. Research by the group into Home Office statistics reveals…
Learn MoreResponse to 2001 Census figures… | Migration Watch UK
The following comment was issued to the media on February 13, 2003 in respect of the results of the 2001 Census. ‘These figures illustrate just how quickly and profoundly the character of some parts of…
Learn MoreRestore The First Chance Rule
The ‘First Chance’ rule – also known as the ‘Resident Labour Market Test’ – is an immigration safeguard that means UK workers have the first opportunity to apply for job openings before such vacancies are…
Learn MoreEstimated Cost Of Housing And Payments For Failed Asylum Claimants
What is the estimated cost of supporting asylum seekers and how has it changed? 1. The overall cost of the asylum system is more than £1.3 billion. As part of this spending, the government is required by the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (henceforth ‘the 1999 Act’) to provide housing
Only One In Every 42 Illegal Channel Arrivals Returned To Europe
Between 1 January 2019 and 1 October 2020, 237 migrants who crossed the English Channel were returned to mainland Europe. This is just over 2% of of just under 10,000 or so people who have been reported illegally crossing the Channel since the start of 2019 (see our Tracker) – only one in every
Trends In Asylum-related Support And Accommodation
The UK’s asylum system is being overwhelmed and abused (see our paper). One symptom of the beleaguered state of the system is that the number of people housed at taxpayer expense has tripled since 2012. In the year to September, the total number of people housed stood at 60,000 – the population of a small city –
Illegal Channel Crossings Are A Huge Injustice
Illegal Channel crossings have spiralled upwards this year. More people crossed in September 2020 than during all of 2019. It’s part of a larger European debacle which began in earnest with Angela Merkel’s foolhardy invitation in the summer of 2015 to irregular migrants to come to Germany. Nearly 1.9 million people have
Red Wall Constituents Oppose Government’s Immigration Proposals
Migration Watch UK have today published the results of an opinion poll focused on the Red Wall constituencies on which the government’s majority in the House of Commons depends. The poll was conducted in 70 selected constituencies ranging from North Wales across to the North East of England and was
Visa Grants In The Era Of Covid
Initial suggestions are that the visa grants during the Covid period (e.g. Q2 2020) were 90%+ lower than in Q2 2019 (see below). However, it is important to note that the pandemic’s impact on immigration, particularly on work-related immigration, should not be used as the basis for justifying plans that were drawn