Research
Recent change in the UK asylum grant rate
Summary 1. The UK’s asylum grant rate at the initial decision stage was nearly three times that of France (72% compared with 25%) in 2021, a year during which 28,500 people came to the UK from France in boats. The UK grant rate is now a permissive outlier compared with most of Europe and,
Direct refugee immigration to the UK
1. Around a third of a million refugees have come to the UK using 13 different refugee routes since 2005, including around 240,000 people in just the past year. 2. In addition, more than 60,000 refugee family members of refugees have come over during the period 2010-2022, bringing the total
Cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels
Summary 1. Tens of thousands of asylum claimants are staying in approximately 200 hotels, alongside an unknown number in hostels. With asylum-related hotel provision rising amidst a mounting case backlog and record dinghy crossings, the cost of such hotel accommodation to taxpayers is nearly £1.3 billion per year – over a billion
Student immigration to the UK
Key points Introduction 1. The UK’s higher education product is a major export and an important component of soft power. It is important to have a viable study visa route into the UK. However, it is also important to keep numbers at reasonable levels and prevent a repetition of the
Student immigration to the UK
Key points Introduction 1. The UK’s higher education product is a major export and an important component of soft power. It is important to have a viable study visa route into the UK. However, it is also important to keep numbers at reasonable levels and prevent a repetition of the
Number Of Relatives Accompanying Other Migrants Nearly Triples To 200,000+ In A Year
There were more than 300,000 grants of family visas and permits in the past year (a huge rise of 116,000 compared with the total seen just before the pandemic). Within this, the latest immigration figuresfrom the Home Office suggest a large rise in chain immigration to the UK, with the number of people
Explore Further
Media
Watch our most recent broadcast appearances, interviews, and briefings, where we comment on immigration, population growth, and related policy issues. These videos offer timely, expert insight and considered responses to current developments in the public and political debate.
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.
Statistics
Migration Watch UK monitors and analyses official immigration and population statistics. We chart trends, report key developments, and provide clear, accessible insights to help understand migration and its impact on the UK.