600,000 Migrants Enter Britain in 2018
Over 600,000 migrants arrived in the United Kingdom in 2018, the vast majority of whom settled in England, making a mockery of the governments's promise to limit migration.
The data from the Office of National Statistics makes for frightening reading:
While the overall trend in net migration remains broadly stable, EU net migration has decreased since mid-2016 following a period of increase, and non-EU net migration has gradually been increasing since 2013. However, both EU and non-EU citizens continue to add to the population, while more British citizens leave long-term than return.
Decisions to migrate are complex and a person’s decision to move to or from the UK will always be influenced by a range of social and economic factors.
Non-EU immigration has remained broadly stable over the last year
Non-EU net migration has gradually increased over the last five years, with 232,000 more non-EU citizens arriving than leaving in the year ending December 2018, this was similar to levels seen in 2011.
Non-EU Long-Term International Migration, UK, year ending December 2008 to year ending December 2018
The overall number of people immigrating to the UK for formal study remained amongst the highest levels seen since 2011.
The UK also granted asylum, alternative forms of leave, or resettlement to 17,304 people in the year ending March 2019 — an increase on the previous year.
The ONS report went on to state: “Since 2016, the pattern of migration to the UK for work has been changing. Long-term immigration to the UK for work has fallen, mainly driven by the decline in EU arrivals. Despite this, 99,000 EU citizens still came to the UK long-term to work in 2018, a level similar to 2012. We are also seeing the number of skilled work visas for non-EU citizens increasing, although overall non-EU work-related immigration has remained broadly stable.”
Vice chairman of the pressure group Migration Watch UK, Alp Mehmet, said: “Overall net migration remains at more than a quarter of a million — still unacceptably high. And despite the uncertainty during 2018, nearly 75,000 more EU arrived than left, as well as 232,000 non-EU nationals. The clear message in these figures for the next Prime Minister is that they must make it a priority to deliver on the government’s pledge to reduce immigration levels by a lot, in line with the public’s wishes.”
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