Communities and neighbourhoods

Facts about migration in the United Kingdom

The UK has benefited from migration

Migrant workers play a key role in supporting a number of industries such as agriculture and food processing (see link below to related publication, Regional Economic Performance: A migration perspective), and delivering public services. A8 migrants* make a positive net fiscal contribution, and are 13 per cent less likely to receive state benefits or tax credits than their UK counterparts (see discussion paper Assessing the fiscal costs and benefits of A8 migration to the UK, accessible via the link to the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration in the right-hand column).

* The A8 are the eight Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004.

The level of net migration is falling

The surplus of people immigrating over people emigrating reduced by 30 per cent from 233,000 in 2007 to 163,000 in 2008 (see Migration Statistics 2008 Statistical Bulletin, accessible via the link to the National Statistics website in the right-hand column).

The Points Based System (PBS) has strengthened entry control

The PBS is based on a shortage occupations list, regularly updated to reflect the needs of UK employers to ensure only those non-EU migrants the country needs are admitted.

The UK has a lower migrant employment share than many developed countries

The workforces in Spain, Germany, Ireland and Sweden - as well as English-speaking countries such as Australia and Canada - all have more migrants per head (see link below to related publication, Regional Economic Performance: A migration perspective). Nine out of ten UK workers are British.

Asylum applications are falling

The UK now has fewer asylum applications per head of population than most of its European counterparts - 14 other EU countries receive more (see link to House of Lords debate in right-hand column).

Most migrants live in private housing

Only 6.5 per cent of social lettings in 2007/8 and 6.8 per cent in 2008/9 were to households headed by a foreign national (see link below to related publication, Social Lettings Tables).

The government is tackling short term pressures of migration through a £70 million Migration Impacts Fund

The MIF is providing £35 million in 2009/10 and 2010/11 to help local services. The Fund is paid for by migrants themselves, through an additional levy on visa applications.

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