Last week, they released the latest statistics for immigration – or people trying to come here. The figure had actually increased due to some revision by the office for national statistics. The first point to make is that the figures which attract the highest publicity -that is the small boat crossings – are a relatively small part of the total. The total is approaching one million, and the latest figures on small boats are about 300,000 from the official statistics. But they attract the greatest publicity and give the impression of a border which is out of control.
It is not much comfort to note that the Migration Observatory observes this is a problem all over the world. The United States, which has a long land border with Mexico, has the most obvious issues, and it is not just Trump who wants to deport illegal immigrants. His predecessors Clinton, Bush and Obama all did. Eisenhower deported over a million back in the 1950s. Most were taken to Mexico. This is not such an easy policy for the UK though.
Excessive immigration has consequences
Too much migration too quickly is a problem for any country. It can rapidly change established communities and put pressure on basic services. It can also ignite racism in communities not used to different ethnic groups. Delays in the asylum system mean many refugees are kept in temporary accommodation which the public can see. I think the most pressing problem though is what can the government do about it.
Immigration demographics
It is worth looking at the official figures to see what groups of people are most represented. The biggest category, over half, are workers in health and social care, whom employers want to come here. The next biggest is students, particularly those studying for masters degrees, and the third refugees who have been given permission to come, largely from Ukraine and Hong Kong, although this group is understandably declining. Migration from the EU is now actually negative – more going back than coming. The majority of migrants are now from outside Europe.
The nature of immigration
Migration is caused by both “push” and “pull” factors. Ours is caused more by “pull” than push. We do need workers from other countries to help run our health and social care services, Universities need funding to keep going, and they charge overseas students more, so they actively recruit abroad. “Push” are the ones who leave because of political persecution or poverty at home, and they usually come on the small boats.
How to address immigration
There are ways to try and reduce it. The British government has successfully done deals with other countries to enable them to discourage migrants from leaving in the first place. The most successful was Albania in 2022. Albania was suffering a labour shortage because many Albanians were leaving to work in Britain and other countries. Many were sent back to Albania and the Albanian government was able to take better measures to prevent them going. But it cost the UK. Another such arrangement has just been concluded with Iraq, which boosts the Iraqis ability to maintain border security, and allows Iraqis who travel here illegally to be returned. Iraqis were the biggest category of people arriving on small boats. Since Labour came to power there has been a 25% increase in deportations and a 12% increase in voluntary returns. Yvette Cooper is hoping to secure more such deals with other countries from which illegal migrants come. But it is expensive and relies on the Governments concerned cooperating. Yvette Cooper is working hard on the policy and hopefully it will lead to positive results.
The other aspect of the policy is an attempt to train more UK nationals to fill the vacancies in the health and care sector. This means improving conditions and training for social care and again is going to require more resources going into this sector. Social care is a very important role, and needs a higher status than it presently has. Good luck with that. It will certainly take time.
The worrying fact about efforts to reduce immigration is that they will all take resources and time. In the meantime, Nigel Farage and Reform will be making as much political capital as they can out of the issue. His party is already planning a big campaign for the May local elections.
British ethos and the immigrant situation worldwide
As I have already pointed out, immigration is a problem all over the world and a simplistic one nation approach will not solve it. Britain has always been a tolerant nation which welcomed strangers, and I would not like to see that ethos undermined by attempts to stir up prejudice and racial hatred. The presence of people from abroad does not make areas run down or prone to crime. The reason that migrants often go to such areas is because they have no choice. The areas were in decline in the first place. Immigrants do not cause the ghettoisation and decline of housing. Parties such as Reform insinuate that migrants cause social decline, even if they do not say it out loud. They are actually victims, not the cause.
It is up to Labour and other parties to take Reform on at the local elections, clearly articulating the need to reduce migration but explaining that it is a worldwide issue and policies take time to be effective. Easy populist solutions are not the answer. Above all successful policies will require determination and resources.
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