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 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