Scotland and Immigration
Summary 1. The population of Scotland has been increasing for the last 20 years and is approaching 5.5 million. Meanwhile the foreign-born share and the proportion of the population made up of other ethnicities have both more than tripled – from about 3% to 10-11% of the total. The impact of immigration is especially marked […]
The Points Based System in Australia – Appropriate for the UK?
1. Summary 1.1 The government has promised to introduce an Australian-points based immigration system after Brexit. This paper looks at the Australian system in detail and asks the question of whether it is appropriate for the UK. Importantly, it includes an annual cap on permanent immigration which covers skilled workers: 2. Migration to Australia 2.1 […]
International migration, population growth and households in the UK
Summary 1. This paper estimates the contribution of international migration to the increase in the number of households[1] in the UK since 1992. It uses data from the Labour Force Surveys to estimate the change over time in the proportion of households headed by persons born outside the United Kingdom. It concludes that 65% of UK […]
Immigration and Scottish independence
Summary 1. Immigration is a major political issue in the UK yet the Scottish White paper blithely assumes that a Scottish government could run an immigration policy in conflict wit that of the rest of the UK and still retain an open border. The reality is that, if Scotland does become independent and joins the […]
International Migration Statistics
Summary1. Immigration from Eastern Europe in 2005 accounted for only one in five foreign immigrants; the rest were mainly from Asia and Africa. 2. It is likely that East European immigrants were undercounted at 65,000 – a figure which implies that only one in four East Europeans have stayed for more than a year. However, […]