Can immigration policy deliver everything people want from it? Our Director Madeleine Sumption discusses the ideas behind her new book, What Is Immigration Policy For?, including why immigration policy involves difficult trade-offs. Check it out 👉 www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/art...

'Immigration policies often just don’t work very well': Interview with migration expert Madeleine Sumption

Why does migration policy cause so much division? And what might help to resolve it?

civilserviceworld.com

@msumption.bsky.social, Director of @migobs.bsky.social at COMPAS, provides a policy perspective on BBC R4's series on UK immigration. Listen for more on legal migration, changes to indefinite leave to remain, & public opinion on migration 🔊 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand...

The Migration Advisory Committee has published its recommendation on which middle-skill jobs should be eligible for temporary work visas via the Temporary Shortage List. The headline? Welders and other more technical jobs are in. Jobs that are more generic (e.g., Business sales executives) are out.

Between Jan 2021 and March 2026, 52k international students switched into the care sector (44% of people who switched from study to work visas). Will these study-to-care switchers stay in the sector? That will depend on whether the qualifying period for ILR is increased from 5 to 15 years... (1/2)

Since 2021, 160,000 Hong Kongers have migrated to the UK via the humanitarian BNO visa route. Our new briefing looks at BNOs’ characteristics, their economic outcomes, and how many expect to stay in the UK long term. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br...

In 2025, just over 100,000 people claimed asylum in the UK. Our updated briefing explains who claims asylum, how these people come to the UK, whether their claims are successful, and much more. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br...

How does migration affect the UK’s public finances? Overall, the impacts are small, but people on different immigration routes have significantly different impacts. Here’s why, in 3 posts…

How does migration affect the UK’s public finances? Overall, the impacts are small, but people on different immigration routes have significantly different impacts. Here’s why, in 3 posts…

Why do asylum seekers come to the UK? Our latest Q&A looks at what influences their destination choices, including grant rates, family reunion policies, and the UK's departure from Dublin after Brexit. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

A new Lords Committee report on the proposed changes to earned settlement, as well as the UK's approach to integration more generally, was published yesterday. Here are three things you need to know.

Yesterday marked 10 years since the UK voted to leave the EU. Reducing migration was one of the central promises of the campaign, but 7 years later, it reached a record high. @msumption.bsky.social explores whether this was accidental or by design. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

Essay: Migration ten years after the EU referendum - Migration Observatory

A short analysis arguing that the post-Brexit immigration system broke its promise to reduce migration partly by accident, and partly by design.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

In 2021, foreign nationals were slightly less likely to live in social housing than British citizens. However, the share of new social housing lettings in England to non-UK nationals has increased in recent years, likely due to their rising share in the population.

Since 2024, the earnings of new non-EU employees (relative to the median) have fallen back significantly, despite the fact that restrictions introduced in 2024/2025 made the work visa system more selective. Why?

A mention for my new book in the Economist - and the (I think?) rarely mentioned point that the same set of policies would deliver higher migration in the UK than in less attractive destinations All else equal we should expect UK work/study policies to be a bit more restrictive

Take a look at ours and @jdportes.bsky.social's updated analysis of migrant earnings. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

Ben Brindle@benbrindle.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Since 2024, the earnings of new non-EU employees (relative to the median) have fallen back significantly, despite the fact that restrictions introduced in 2024/2025 made the work visa system more selective. Why?

Our fully updated briefing on asylum accommodation in the UK is out! We look at the rise and fall of hotel use, where asylum seekers live, and the share of people who do not receive government support 👇https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/asylum-accommodation-in-the-uk/

Asylum accommodation in the UK - Migration Observatory

This briefing examines the accommodation of asylum seekers in the UK.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

UK net migration fell sharply in 2025 to 171,000, down 82% from the historical high in early 2023. Want to know what drove the fall and what might happen to net migration in the years ahead? We've got you covered in our updated briefing. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br...

Yesterday’s migration figures showed a sharp fall in net migration and a decline in asylum claims. But what explains the changes, and will these trends continue? New from me for @uk.theconversation.com theconversation.com/net-migratio...

Net migration and asylum claims have fallen – here’s what the latest figures tell us

While net migration is on a downward trajectory, it is still positive, meaning that the foreign-born population continues to grow.

theconversation.com

New net migration figures covering 2025 will be published on Thursday. Here's what our team will be watching out for – from the trajectory of net migration to the use of asylum hotels and a surge in citizenship applications. www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-05...

New net migration figures covering 2025 will be published on Thursday. Here's what our team will be watching out for – from the trajectory of net migration to the use of asylum hotels and a surge in citizenship applications. www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-05...

Our latest briefing on migrants in the UK labour market charts the remarkable shift away from EU towards non-EU workers over the past few years. Plus data on migrants' earnings, use of universal credit, overqualification, and much more... migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br...

68% of the increase in the UK’s population growth between 2005 and 2024 was due to net migration, and ONS projections assume this will rise to 144% in the coming years—in other words, the population would decline without net migration. See our updated briefing for more.

New Migration Advisory Committee analysis: which people on skilled worker visas stay long term vs leave the UK? Most likely to remain long term are lower-paid workers, health & care workers, women, young people, people granted first SW visa in-country, and ppl from lower-income countries of origin

From the Education Committee today: recommendation to align international education and student visa policy

With devolved elections coming up this week, we've produced a crib sheet on migration in Scotland and Wales. While seeing the same migration patterns as the UK overall, the two nations are distinct in the difference migration makes to population change. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

Immigration in the devolved nations: the five-minute rundown - Migration Observatory

This commentary explores international migration to Scotland and Wales, including recent overall trends, higher education student and asylum seeker numbers, and projections of future migration.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

How does your local area compare with others on migration? With local elections this week, we've just published a new edition of our local data guide. Explore how each local authority profiles on immigration, foreign students, asylum seekers and more. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/projects/loc...

Local data on migrants in the UK - Migration Observatory

This guide has been developed to help people answer key questions about migrants in local areas around the UK: How many migrants are there in different local areas? How is this changing over time? Wha...

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

“I think the book should be compulsory reading for every civil servant at the Home Office and every MP” - Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Madeleine Sumption's new book "What is Immigration Policy For?" Link to the book in the reply, for those civil servants and MPs who don't have their copy yet

ONS significantly downgrades UK population growth forecast on the back of falling net migration - with net migration central estimate reduced from 340k per year to 230k (means population of the UK would hit 71m by 2034, rather than 72.2m, as projected in 2022)

The cost of visa applications increased this month, so we’ve updated our tool which calculates how much migrants pay in immigration fees from entry to citizenship. Take a look at Figure 1 👇 migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

Q&A: Immigration fees in the UK - Migration Observatory

This commentary answers some common questions about immigration charges and their implications.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

How much do migrants on Skilled Worker visas get paid? New FOI data show big differences by skill level and whether the job was in healthcare or other industries. For context, median earnings for full-time employees were £39,000 over the same period.