One million migrants a year ‘will soon be the norm’ after figures showed a rise of 435,000 year-on-year, think-tank says
- Figures last month showed 1.1 million foreign nationals came to live in Britain
- Of the 1.1 million who came in the year to June, 704,000 were non-EU nationals
- In same period, 560,000 people are estimated to have emigrated from the UK
Current immigration levels of more than one million a year could become the ‘norm’ for Britain, a think-tank warned last night.
Official migration figures published last month showed 1.1 million foreign nationals came to live long-term in Britain – a rise of 435,000 year-on-year.
Now a report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) said similar levels could be seen over the ‘medium to long term’. The think-tank called on ministers to introduce measures to ensure the arrivals serve the UK’s economy and jobs market.
There should also be steps to reassure the UK workforce that it is not being ‘supplanted’ by foreign workers, the report added.
A teenager has been charged in connection with last week’s tragedy that saw four migrants die when a dinghy deflated in the Channel. Current immigration levels of more than one million a year could become the ‘norm’ for Britain, a think-tank warned last night
‘Current high levels of migration could well be the norm rather than the exception,’ said the study by SMF senior fellow Jonathan Thomas. ‘Both supply and demand-side factors mean that the UK’s future migration trend may be towards inflows remaining at historically high levels in the medium to long term.
‘On the demand side, skills and labour shortages may be worsened by an ageing resident population.
‘On the supply side, Britain’s historic ties to highly populous nations are likely to mean significant numbers of working-age people willing and able to come to the UK.’ The report suggested the UK should explore ‘skills partnerships’ with migrants’ home countries to ensure they fit employment needs here.
‘The case for labour immigration… needs to be clearly presented as supplementing, not supplanting, what the UK has available,’ the author said. Mr Thomas also called for the international refugee system ‘to break the link between where the asylum claim is made… and in which country the refugee is then settled’.
Tackling the Channel small boats crisis is likely to involve the UK having to accept more refugees from France and other EU nations, he added.
‘The UK should accept that France has no obligation to help Britain, particularly when France accepts a greater number of refugees.’
Of the 1.1 million foreign nationals who came to live here in the year to June, 704,000 were non-EU nationals, up 379,000 year-on-year. In the same period, 560,000 people are estimated to have emigrated from the UK.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would expect to see lower immigration overall under Labour.
On BBC1’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show, she added the figures are ‘at unusually high levels’ now because of migrants from Ukraine, Hong Kong and Afghanistan.
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