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Institute for the Study of Civil Society
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Immigration

As a precursor to the election, this briefing sets out figures on immigration today, and the Labour government's performance over the past decade. It also explains what the Conservatives are proposing.

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The Position Today

UK 2008, unless otherwise stated.

  • UK population by birth [1]
    • UK born- 53 919 000 (89%)
    • All foreign born - 6 843 000 (11%)
    Most common countries of birth [2] - (i) India; (ii) Poland; (iii) Pakistan

  • % of the UK workforce foreign born- 13%

  • Immigration to the UK [3] - 590,000
    Reason for immigration
    • Formal study - 30%
    • A definite job - 25%
    • Looking for work - 13%
    • To accompany/join relatives - 15%
    Of which, 2009 [4]
    • Returning UK citizens - 16.8%
    • EU - 32%

    Passengers admitted by purpose of journey (includes dependents)[5]
    • Student visa - 247, 000
    • Work permits - 227, 000

  • Long term immigration
    No. granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK [6] - 148, 740
    Of whom, for dependent related considerations - 69%

  • Grants of British citizenship [ILR already required, 2009][7] - 203, 865

  • Asylum
    Most popular destinations for asylum within the EU:[8] (i) France; (ii) UK; (iii) Italy
    No. of asylum applications, UK [9] - 31,315 (11% increase on 2007)
    Of whom dependents - 17.2%
    Asylum applicants granted leave to remain [10]- 31%
    Asylum seekers are not allowed to work while their claim is being processed, so often have to rely on state support. (Subsistence support is less than 70% of income support as available to UK residents).
    No. of asylum seekers receiving govt. provided accommodation, 2009 [11] - 24,480
    No. receiving subsistence only support - 4,690
Other Briefings
The Party Positions

Policy Area Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Immigration & Controls
-The increase in the foreign born population in the UK between 1991 and 2001 was greater than in any other post-war decade and the proportion of the population born abroad rose from just under 7% in 1991 to 11% in 2008.[12]
-Labour liberalised the environment for immigration: the number of individuals admitted to the UK with student visas has increased by 33.5% and work permits by 51.9% since 1999. [13]
-A points-based system was introduced in 2008 - each applicant is given points on the basis of aptitude, age and the demand for their skills. Currently, only the tiers aimed at foreign students and skilled labour are open; those for unskilled labour are suspended indefinitely in favour of EU labour.
-The Resident Labour Market test: driven by public calls for 'British jobs for British workers', UK based employers are now obligated to advertise a vacancy to British workers for four weeks before recruiting abroad.		 - Set an annual immigration cap or quota, to control the numbers admitted. It would be a two step process: to identify those applicants desirable for the UK and then control their entry in line with the interests of the UK's public services and infrastructure, community cohesion and aging population. They still envisage a net annual immigration but would reduce the rate from outside the EU. - A regional points-based immigration system to ensure that immigration is targeted to areas which are under-populated and would benefit from more immigration, like Scotland.
- Transfer responsibility for producing migration statistics to the Office of National Statistics to restore public confidence.
-Tackle the skills shortage which necessitates importing foreign labour and fund training of the UK labour force.
The EU
-Britain campaigned strongly for the expansion of the EU, the primary factor behind the growth in immigration. In 2004, 10 countries joined and a further two joined in 2007. Eight out of the 2004 accession countries (the A8) have free access to the UK labour market but must register and become eligible for state benefits after working for 12 months.
-A8 applications for benefits allowed, 2009 [14] - 7,525 (29.1% of applicants).
-Bulgarian and Romanian nationals do not have an automatic right to work in the UK; 78,085 had gained the right to work from accession in 2007 by the end of 2009. [15]
-Post 2004, the number applying for the Workers Registration Scheme was significant but has since slowed:[16]
  • Total no. of successful registrations [2006] - 227,880
  • Total no. of successful registrations [2009] - 106,390

-Emigration reached record highs in 2008, 25% higher than in 2007 and made up primarily of non-British citizens.[17] This suggests that much of the migration from the new EU countries may be temporary and circular.		 -Restore national control over social and employment legislation from the EU. They refer specifically to the Working Time Directive rather than supply of employment.
- Introduce a United Kingdom Sovereignty Bill, to make it clear that ultimate authority stays in this country, in our Parliament.		 - Push for a co-ordinated EU wide asylum system to ensure states work together to tackle immigration crime such as people trafficking, and that the burden of asylum is shared equally.
-Develop EU safe routes, whereby vulnerable groups could make asylum applications at embassies abroad. This would reduce the number using people trafficking.
Asylum
-The number of asylum claims (incl. dependents) has decreased by 64% over 9 years.[18]
-Unresolved cases: 10,600 at the end of 2008.[19] This is a tenth of 1999 figures but the government target for 90% of asylum applications to be resolved within six months is widely viewed as unachievable.[20] There also remain around 230,000 'legacy cases', claims filed before 2007 which remain unsolved.[21]
-Tony Blair made returning illegal workers a priority; enforced removals and voluntary departures have risen 79.9% since 1999.[22]
-They pledge to further increase the efficacy of processing asylum claims and deportation.		 -Take the asylum system out of the remit of the Home Office and create an Independent Asylum Agency to administer asylum.
-Frontload resources into making high quality initial decisions and so reduce the amount of claims overturned on appeal.
-Implement procedures to fast-track claims with clear justification.
-Allow asylum seekers to work in order to stop their forced dependence on benefits. Benefits would only be paid if the individual is unable to work or there was no work available.
Integration
-Integration through 'Earned Citizenship' will mean immigrants, from 2011, sit a points based test to ascertain a knowledge of British culture, tax, law and language.
-A migrant impact fund will put a levy on migrants entering the country and be used to ease the pressure on public services in areas of high settlement.		 -A US-style British Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act. It would put collective values of British people over individual values, emphasising responsibilities alongside rights.
-An English language test for anyone coming here to get married.		 -Develop an 'earned route' to citizenship in order to reduce the number of illegal migrants who do not pay tax.
- The Earned Route to Citizenship would give a two year work permit to irregular migrants who have been in the UK for 10 years, subject to English language or civics tests. After two years, the applicant could apply for indefinite leave to remain.
-Applicants would be charged a levy or have to volunteer within their communities. Those who have committed criminal offences would not be eligible.
- Begin a programme of social housing building to tackle housing shortages; conduct a review of social housing policies to ensure fair allocation.
-Extend English lessons and outreach programmes.
-Reform the existing 'Life in the UK' test to empower those arriving in the UK to engage with society and give 'welcome packs' to long-stay arrivals.
-Encourage twinning arrangements between schools with different ethnic and social mixes.
Security Measures
-Employers are now held legally responsible if they fail to verify their employees' eligibility to work and there are fines and arrests for those who employ illegal workers.
-Labour abolished embarkation controls for countries outside the EU in 1998.
-Foreign nationals in the country for over six months must now carry an ID card containing biometric information.
-Immigrants sentenced to over 12 months in jail are now automatically deported on release.
-Electronic border controls to monitor movement in and out of the country will be in use at all international ports by 2012.		 -A dedicated Border Police Force to protect the UK's borders and help clear the backlog of people here illegally.
-More effective use of the security services and more thorough checks at borders, such as using their right to look at the face of a departing passenger.
-A crack down on people trafficking.		 -Create a National Border Force to take on the present border control functions of HM Customs & Excise, the Immigration & Nationality Directorate and police guarding ports and airports.
-Immediately re-introduce exit checks at all ports.
-Crack down on people trafficking.
- Prioritise the improvement of visa services at UK consulates: introduce a full complaints procedure and review the restrictions on rights of appeal.
Expenditure
-£150million of efficiency savings in the UK Border Agency: streamlining processing of migration applications and new technology such as iris and facial recognition providing a more rapid service at borders.[23] -Scrap ID cards - they claim this is an infringement on freedom and that those who represent the biggest security threat to the UK, foreign travellers, are allowed in the country for three months without an identity card -Fund better skills training in the areas where UK currently imports labour by increasing the price businesses pay for work permits for immigrant workers.




Notes to Editors

[1] Figures refer to the year to June 2009. Population by country of birth and nationality, The Annual Population Survey, June 2009. Table 1.1. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15147
[2]Migration Statistics 2008 Annual Report, Office for National Statistics, 2009. Pp. 8. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Migration-Statistics-2008-Annual-Report.pdf
[3] Migration Statistics 2008, Office for National Statistics, November 2009. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/miga1109.pdf
[4]Provisional International Passenger Survey (IPS) estimates of long term international migration, Office of National Statistics, 2009. Table 1. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/Product.asp?vlnk=15240
[5] Students are those from outside the EEA; Figures are Provisional. Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, UK Q4 2009, Home Office, 2010. Table 2. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/immiq409.pdf
[6] Control of Immigration Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[7] Figure is provisional. Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, UK Q4 2009, Home Office, 2010. Table 20. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/immiq409.pdf
[8]Control of Immigration Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. Table 2.3. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[9]Control of Immigration: Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. Pp. 20. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[10]Total no. granted asylum, Exceptional Leave to Remain, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave as a % of the 2008 initial decisions. Around 23% of further appeals succeed, upon an initial refusal. Table 2.1a. Control of Immigration Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[11]Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary UK Q4 2009, Home Office, 2010. Table 2d. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/immiq409.pdf
[12] Foreign Born, People and Migration, Office for National Statistics, December 2005. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1312
[13]Control of Immigration: Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. Table 1.3. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[14]Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary UK, Q4 2009, Home Office, 2010. Table 18. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/immiq409.pdf
[15]Figures record the total approved applications for Accession Worker Cards and Registration Certificates. It does not include approved applications for the Sector Based Scheme (SBS) and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS). This is due to differences in the nature of applications: applications for accession worker cards and registration certificates are made by the employee, while applications for SBS, Work Permits and SAWS are made by the employer before approval is given.[Longer explanation given in the Bulgarian and Romanian Accession Statistics, UK Border Agency, Q1 2009.] Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, UK, Q4 2009, Home Office, 2010. Table 19. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/immiq409.pdf
[16]Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary UK, Q4 2009, Home Office, 2010. Table 17. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/immiq409.pdf
[17] Migration Statistics 2008, Office for National Statistics, November 2009. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/miga1109.pdf
[18] Control of Immigration: Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. Table 2.1a. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[19]Control of Immigration: Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. Table 2.1a. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[20] Vine,J. Asylum: Getting the Balance Right, Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, February 2010. Para. 1.18
[21]Asylum Legacy Cases, SN/HA/4439, Home Affairs Select Committee, January 2010. http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snha-04439.pdf
[22]Control of Immigration Statistics UK 2008, Home Office Statistical Bulletin, August 2009. Table 3.1. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1409.pdf
[23]Budget 2009, HM Treasury, April 2009. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/bud09_completereport_2520.pdf


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