British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said few months back that “we have been discombobulated by immigration.” Almost every region in the UK has difficulties in housing, education, crime and health according to an official report. The report mainly presented the impact of immigration on the social side of society.

Labor’s immigration minister has also revealed that a record number of immigrants “could deeply unsettle the country.” Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah of the Institute of Public policy research said it was “time for government to move from anecdotal evidence to hard facts.” Economists have found that the primary factor involved in this is the fact that people tend to change their place of original residence in hope of finding a better employment opportunity.

The Home Office published its report on economic impact of immigration which says that there has been a clear benefit to the economy, but it also added that low-paid workers may lose out to foreign workers even when minimum wage is in place. On the contrary, the Britain Office of National Statistics has studied the effects of immigration from a different angle, and in some cases it found that there has been an increase in low-level crime such as anti-social behavior and driving offences.

International immigration tends to bring out drastic socio-economic changes in two places. A large number of outflow of workers may sometimes reduce the required supply of labor, leading to a rise in wages from the original place of migration, and on the other hand it may lead to an unexpectedly high supply of labor, leading to a fall in wages where people migrate.

On the social side of society, it may sometimes lead to a deficiency in services such as public transportation, education and maintenance of law and order. In the UK, one of the major components of immigration is economic migration, where the UK allowed a record number of immigrants on the basis of work permits, family reunions, asylum and, lastly, students.

There are also illegal entrants like those who overstay their visas and failed asylum seekers. The Migration Advisory Committee published its report on minimum requirements for citizens and settled residents who wish to bring in foreign spouses in the country. It recommends an income threshold of 18,500 or 25,700 pounds a year.

Over the last 15 years there has been a swift increase in immigration in the UK, reports claim that Labor Government tripled the number of work permits issued over the years, and it has became a large spurt of economic growth that largely benefits the country. Stiffer and more complicated rules overlooking the migration phenomena in the UK may hurt economic growth and may also impact future prospects of the ruling  party.

MaxyM / Shutterstock.com

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About the author

Muhammed Faraaz
Post-graduate in Economics from India, unfolding complexities and policies. Proponent of Classical Economics.

1 Comment for Immigration in UK: A Problem for Great Britain

Asif Iqbal

From the Mid -1980s I have not had read any serious article on Politics and policy, Its a Classic, not for that one reason that I have a very serious relationship with the writer, No, not at all, its not related at all, having said that its not directly concerned at all,
Nonetheless its a CLASSIC

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