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.
Migration Watch Responds To The Latest Set Of Ons Migration Figures, September 2025
Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch, said: For further comments, please contact admin@migrationwatchuk.org. Notes to editor:
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Don’t Be Fooled – This Government Is Not In Control Of Illegal Immigration
The Home Office today (9th September) issued a press release titled, ‘For the first time, small boat migrants arriving in the UK face being detained and returned to France’. Promising title – but is it…
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Cutting Student Visas: Bringing Migration Under Control
The numbers speak for themselves. In 2024, student visas accounted for 45% of all UK entry visas issued – the single largest route for legal migration. This surge is no accident. In 2019, ministers set…
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Migration Is Changing Your Area – Just Look At These Numbers.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released its official estimates for the population of England and Wales yesterday, and the results make for dire reading. Already the headlines are coming in thick and fast: “Migration fuels population…
Learn MoreA Shocking Year, Strewn With Failure. Pull Your Socks up or go!
It’s been exactly one year since Labour won the 2024 General Election. Given that “immigration and asylum” was the second-most important issue for voters at the time – and by far the most important issue for Conservative…
Learn MoreWar 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 MoreDo We Really Need Yet More Eu Workers?
This week our Chairman Lord Green of Deddington wrote an article for Conservative Home arguing that claims made by businesses that they need continued net inflows of migrants from the EU must be scrutinised by government. The full article is below. Do we really need yet more EU workers? By
Tony Blair’s Suggested Controls On Migration From The European Union Are Nothing Of The Sort
The government is reportedly considering post-Brexit immigration proposals that would end free movement rules immediately upon the UK’s departure from the EU while gradually bringing in measures to reduce the number of lower-skilled European migrants. However, in an article published on 9th September, Mr Blair argues that ending the free movement
Come Off It, Professor
Jonathan Portes has falsely accused Migration Watch UK of lying. Professor Portes is wrong and his accusation is false. This is a familiar tactic of his when he disagrees with or disapproves of any argument. As historian Niall Ferguson wrote in a powerful Spectator articlein 2015, he seeks, ‘to undermine an irrefutable
Brexit Negotiations: Objections To The Government’s Offer On European Citizens’ Rights – And Replies
Summary: As well as summarising three key areas of disagreement over the rights of EU nationals in the UK and vice versa that have arisen during the first two rounds of Brexit negotiations in June and July, this paper highlights eight other objections that have been made to the UK’s offer
An Emergency Brake Is A Dangerous Mirage
In an article for the Financial Times, former leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg argues that the UK should seek a Norway-style ‘emergency brake’ on EU migration post-Brexit. He adds that if the UK implemented this measure as part of the European Economic Area (EEA) whilst remaining in the Single
The Uk Government’s Proposal On Eu Citizens’ Rights – An Overview
The UK government has now published a detailed proposal on the future rights of EU citizens living in the UK before the UK leaves the EU. The main elements are summarised in the link below. The UK is of course negotiating with the European Union, which has taken a different