Brexit Mistaken about UK Immigration, Reveals Study

Brexit—the movement that finally saw Britain exit the EU on June 23, this year–has brought the world, especially Britain, on two opposite sides on the issue. While the supporters of Brexit are elated that now the UK is officially not a part of the EU, those against it reportedly claim that the movement was built on false and baseless propaganda.  

As per a study of net migration done by a well-known publication in the UK, The Independent, just 24% of the overseas movement made to Britain since 1990 can be really attributed to the nation’s European Union (EU) membership.

Ahead of the referendum of the EU, the publication reportedly stated that its facts cancel the overstated declarations made by the Vote Leave campaign—together with The Sun paper and anti-immigration organization, Migration Watch—related to UK immigration and its link with the nation’s EU membership.

The data brought-out by The Independent reveals that over the past 25 years, 76% of net migration by the non-British citizens has, in fact, been made by the nationals of the non-EU nations.

As per The Independent, an EU exit will not decrease, in any manner, the levels of net migration to the 10s of 1000s, where ‘net migration’ is the figure of persons moving to Britain minus those moving from it.

The statistics registered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)–that dates back to 1975 when Britain had just become a part of the EU–reveals a minimal amount of movement to the UK from the EU through the course of the past four decades.

Critical Observations

As per a critic, the UK made a decision to exit the EU on June 23, this year. The Brexit Campaign asserted that this will lead to less overseas movement made to the nation. As duly substantiated in the Independent report, in point of fact, over about the previous 25 years most movement made into Britain has been from the non-EU nations.

With a view to cut down net migration to the “10s of 1000s” it is vital that the movement from outside the EU is also reduced. Only going away from the EU will not have an effect at all on net migration to the level as duly asserted by the preceding “Leave” drive.

Some observers have been claimed that until the UK, in reality, officially leaves the EU–which is expected to be some years from now–there may be an increase in the movement made into the country. Individuals could want to arrive in from other nations of the EU prior to the law undergoes a change. Chiefs of the Brexit drive have stated that the citizens of the EU already in Britain should be provided with Permanent Residence (PR). But will this really have the effect of motivating the EU citizens to stay in the UK?

There is some degree of doubts related to what will happen to the UK immigration arrangement now that Britain has come to a decision to go away from the EU. The positive good news report is that it appears that the citizens of the EU, already in the nation, will be given the permission to stay. In the same way, British citizens, living in other nations of the EU, will, it appears, also be given the right to reside in those nations.

The Independent–How It Examined the Immigration Facts?

Employing the ONS statistics, The Independent was in a position to allot specific ‘host countries’ to 2.1 million of the 5.2 million net migrants who have gained admission into the nation since 1990, which the newspaper reportedly claims is when the levels of immigration started to head north.

The Independent’s study reveals that the 2.1 million cover the most important nations. While roughly 40% have arrived from the nations of India, Pakistan & Bangladesh; 15% have poured in from the People’s Republic of China; 11% from the Australia, South Africa (SA), New Zealand and Canada; and 5% from the US; besides 3% from the Philippines.

Apart from this, 10% have poured in from the nations of Western Europe, mainly from the Germany, Italy, & France, with the rest of the 15% arriving from the nations that became a part of the EU more lately, like Romania, Poland, & Lithuania.

For more information on the UK immigration please contact me at mustaqali@abhinav.com