Introduction to  migration

Since 2011 increasing numbers of people have fled towards Europe, as a result of conflict and violence in several African countries, civil unrest in North Africa, and the civil war in Syria. These numbers grew to a flood in 2015, on a scale not seen since WW11. The subsequent crisis involves the whole of Europe, and widens the issues for the EU to address namely humanitarian aid, EU asylum policy, demographic problems for an ageing continent, and integration.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in several millions of refugees crossing the borders of adjoining countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary and Moldova. The UK has announced a programme for accepting Ukrainian refugees involving financial support for hosts.  Some 200,000 households have expressed willingness to accept Ukrainian refugees under the scheme but the requirement to have a visa is slowing down the process. As at the beginning of April 2022 only 2,700 visas had been issued.

In the UK concerns have focused on the number of migrants including those from the EU  arriving in the country after the 2004 enlargement. Successive Conservative governments since 2010 have made manifesto commitments to reduce net immigration, both EU and non EU, to the tens of thousands. The present government has abandoned that commitment.

Post Brexit immigration system

It is generally accepted that one of the reasons for the referendum vote to leave the EU in 2016 was opposition to the free movement of people condition of EU membership.  On February 18, 2020 the government published proposals for a new points based immigration policy following the end of the transition period expected to be December 31, 2020.  In summary: 

EU migrants will be on the same footing as those from other countries.

• UK borders will be closed to non- skilled workers.
• All immigrants will have to speak English
• Anyone coming to the UK to work will have to have a job offer with a salary of at least £25,600 (£20,480 where there is skills shortage, eg nursing)  
• International students will be offered a two year work visa after graduating from a British university (Guardian September 11, 2019).
• Youth mobility visa will allow 18-30 year olds from the EU to live and work in the UK for up to two years.

Industries likely to be adversely affected by the new policy include horticulture, the hospitality sector, retailing, distribution, construction and the care sector. There will however be no limit to the number of immigrants welcolmed provided they meet the rules. Special arrangements will be made for seasonal workers but the limit will be set at 10,000 whereas the National Farmers Union predicts a need for 70,000 temporary visas in 2021.

................................................................................................................................................................

A starting point in the debate has to be about sorting out the language used and being clear about the distinction between migrant, refugee and economic migrant.

Click here for a simple interactive quiz to test what you know already and any misunderstandings about the meaning of key words – immigrant, refugee, asylum seeker, illegal immigrant.