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 MoreWhy Lock All The Internal Doors But Leave The External Ones Wide Open?
Migration Watch UK’s stance is that travel by non-UK nationals who have spent time in the worst-affected countries should be suspended. However, British nationals who wish to return here should be still be able to fly home. We would add Spain to the list of worst-affected areas. Research (for instance by
Some Impacts Of Very High Immigration – Factsheet For The United Kingdom
1. Net migration into the UK from overseas stands at 240,000 (year to September 2019 – see ONS bulletin). EU net migration has fallen by about 100,000 since 2016 but still stands at 64,000 more people coming than leaving. Non-EU net migration to the UK is the highest since 2004, and gross non-EU
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
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,
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
Boris Johnson’s Proposed Illegal Immigration Amnesty
Commenting, Alp Mehmet, Vice Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: “It seems Mr Johnson is considering an amnesty for illegal immigrants in order to avoid another Windrush. This makes no sense. Those wrongly caught up in Windrush had every right to be here and bear no comparison to people who have either entered