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 MoreBogus Student Clampdown ‘Economically and Morally Justified’ | Migration Watch UK
The Government’s planned clampdown on the long running issue of bogus students is both economically justified and entirely fair, says a new report from think-tank Migrationwatch, issued as the government’s consultation period ends on 31 January. The proposals are designed primarily to stop the widespread abuse by people coming to Britain under
The Comment That Wasn’t Free
An articleattacking our paper on bogus students appeared in the Guardian on 9/01/11. The response below was offered to the paper but they declined to publish. Bogus foreign students, and indeed bogus colleges in Britain, are a serious problem – not withstanding the IPPR attempts to quibble with our description of some of
The Impact of the Points Based System
Summary 1. This briefing paper looks at the effect of introducing the Points Based System (PBS) on immigration control. It finds that the PBS is an ineffective instrument for the task. The PBS gives primacy to “objective criteria” for the issue of a visa rather than immigration control objectives. Student
New Wave of East European Workers Takes Lion’s Share of New Jobs and Puts Government Immigration Target at Risk | Migration Watch UK
Figures published today1 show that there were nearly 300,000 more people in employment in the UK in the third quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. However, nearly half of these jobs went to foreign nationals, including 98,000 extra workers from the new East European members of the
Migration – The Environmental Consequences for the UK | Migration Watch UK
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK will soar by almost 515 million tonnes over the period from 2008 to 2033 solely as a result of the projected increase in population due to net migration over that period, says a new report out today. The report from think-tank Migrationwatch on the
MW212 : Global Migration Unrealities | Migration Watch UK
In November 2010 the New Economics Foundation published a short paper entitled “Why the cap won’t fit: Global migration realities 2010 to 2050“. The paper argued that UK immigration policy should take account of world trends in migration. Immigration needed to be effectively managed against this background and government “rhetoric”