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ippr reaction to today’s migration figures

24 February 2009

In reaction to today’s Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions' figures on migration to the UK in the second half of 2008, Tim Finch, Head of Migration at the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) said:

“The more figures we get on immigration into the UK in 2008, the clearer it becomes that migrant numbers are falling. 

"Most striking, is the 47 per cent drop in the number of Eastern Europeans coming to the UK to work - if the last three months of 2008 is compared with the same period in 2007. This can be seen as a “lead indicator” of how migration patterns will change during a recession, because migrants from this part of Europe are mobile and can quickly respond to changing economic circumstances.

"In late 2008, the economy was slowing down and moving into recession.  As expected, migration was slowing down too.  In 2009, a combination of the economic slowdown and tighter controls by the government is likely to cause immigration to fall even more.”

Notes to editors

According to the statistics released today by the Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions:

The number of approved Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) applicants making initial applications in Q4 2008 was 27,000, compared to 51,000 in Q4 2007 (a drop of 47%) and 63,000 in Q4 2006 (a drop of 57%).

In total there were 165,000 initial applicants to the WRS in 2008, compared to 218,000 in 2007 (a drop of 24%) and 235,000 in 2006 (a drop of 30%).

The number of National Insurance numbers issued in the third quarter of 2008 to adult overseas nationals entering the UK was 167,000 down from 190,000 in the third quarter of 2007 (a drop of 12%)

Although increasing, the numbers of A8 nationals applying for tax-funded income-related benefits and housing support remains low in relation to the total number of claimants in the UK. For example, 3,936 applications for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance were processed in Q4 2008, of which 1,093 were allowed to proceed for further consideration.

The vast majority of A8 workers registering in the twelve months to December 2008 were young: 78 per cent aged between 18 and 34. Only 11 per cent of registered workers stated that they had dependants living with them in the UK when they registered.

124,000 non-EEA nationals were admitted as work permit holders or as their dependants in 2007, compared with 145,000 in 2006, down 15 per cent (EEA nationals do not require a work permit). The number of work permit holders coming for 12 months or more decreased by 12 per cent to 50,400 in 2007 while those coming for less than 12 months decreased by 8 per cent to 35,900.

Contact

Kelly O’Sullivan ippr media officer, 020 7339 0007 / 07753 719 289 / k.osullivan@ippr.org