Net migration to the UK almost halved in 2024 as tougher visa rules took effect, in figures that could reduce pressure on Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government over the politically charged issue.
Politically charged? By racists, you mean? Because let's be honest about this, it's their propaganda which is the reason why this issue gets the airtime it does.
This is the data:
And this is the breakdown for non-EU citizens, who are the ones that the racists obsess about because they tend not to be white, and even the FT is pandering to this by breaking the data down in this way, since we are not in the EU anymore, meaning this division should not be relevant:
So, we are denying ourselves the labour we need.
And we are denying ourselves the export sales that foreign students attending UK universities represent, which is making life more challenging in the UK as a result.
And in net terms (humanitarian vs asylum), we are not helping the vulnerable people of the world.
As the article notes, all of this is at a cost to the UK: we lose a contribution to the UK as a result of cutting migration in this way.
But I really want to look at this through another lens, which is small as yet, but which I suspect will grow. This is data on US applications for UK citizenship:
In 1933 the wisest Jews quit Nazi Germany whilst they could.
Fleeing fascism makes sense.
The US is now a fascist state.
The wisest are leaving.
This could become a rout in due course, except Trump is bound to want to stop it happening: he'll want to punish people for their temerity in opposing his regime. It is what fascists do. But right now, the numbers wanting to get out of the USA are going to increase very rapidly.
So, what does the UK do?
Does it welcome them? They are, after all, going to be political refugees who might well qualify for asylum.
Is it going to celebrate what they can bring here? Like almost all migrants, those coming here will be the brightest, the risk takers, the innovators, the entrepreneurs and those who embrace opportunity. Why wouldn't we do that?
And, will we literally accommodate them?
Why wouldn't we do that? Because we did not do that to the Jews in 1933. Nor do we do it to others now. That's why not.
And why did we not do it for the Jews in the 1930s? Because papers like the Daily Mail ran anti-Semitic campaigns. That is why not.
Of course, this time they might say, but these are white Americans, so we have no reason for prejudice. But don't you believe it. As I noted recently, the Mail has already run headlines like this:
So, the arrivals will be categorised as woke, left-wing, disrupters, or as Palestinian supporters, anti-Israelis, or whatever else those who populate the Mail headline writing desk can think up to castigate those who care about humanity. The same as the 1930s, then, with a little twist.
Are we going to say no to those fleeing tyranny in the USA?
Is that going to be our approach?
Will we condemn people to their fate?
Is this going to be our human style?
That's what we're already doing to the rest of the world. Why should we be any different about those fleeing the US?
I will wait and see, but I suspect this will develop, and I am not looking forward to how it will.
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Late 17th century. Revocation of the Edit on Nante by a religious lunatic. UK economically much better off due to the Hugenots fleeing France.
UK has been there before. Open the doors to US citizens, turn Oxford & Cambridge into the new Harvard, funding for start ups – US loss is Uk gain. This requires that the LINO rabble recognise the opportunity and the head LINO understands this. Turbo-charge NHS funding – once US citizens have experienced free health @ point of use – why would they go back etc etc. Opportunity to get the Uk back on to a good footing whilst watching the former colonies immolate themselves.
As for the Daily Heil: “Hurrah for the brown shirts” – the words may change over time – the fascist intent never does – time it was closed.
Mike,
Do you think US refugees should be treated differently to other refugees? Is it right to assume that, because they are fleeing Trump they are more deserving of help that those fleeing war in Sudan or habitat destruction in Bangladesh? Should there be even more of a hierarchy of refugees – Ukraine and Hong Kong refugees are treated very differently already.
Edict of Nantes. Some Huguenots went to the Cape and introduced wine making to South Africa. Frederick the Great of Prussia persuaded a lot to go there too.
At the expense of thread drift and expanding on what I have said earlier.
It seems to me that the UK needs a ‘Population Descent Action Plan’ p- rather like the Energy Descent Action Plan that the Transition Town movement talks about.
Clearly that would include a plan to recruit a certain number of migrants each year – and of course properly provide for them
We’ll likely take the rich Americans fleeing to their second homes in London, and the odd scientist here and there, but will happily send back any US citizen Trump orders us to. That’s my assumption.
Interesting question. Any successful mass emigration from the US will necessitate negotiating the double taxation system of the IRS. This is that any US citizen or green card holder who resides outside of the US must pay both the taxes in the US and those of their chosen foreign domicile country. Failure to do so results in massive fines or a prison sentence. Originally put into law by Lincoln in order to help pay for rebuilding after the US Civil War, it was not globally enforced until 2010, after Obama’s HIRE Act was passed with a last minute enforcement amendment. Many expat US citizens have already had to negotiate this, many losing their bank accounts and/or forced to renounce their citizenship to avoid their descendants being penalised since FATCA and GATCA.
Leaving the US is not simply a matter of getting on a plane. The IRS will hunt you down and under MAGA/Trump you can be assured US double taxation will be weaponised to the max.
I liked the observation in a recent Private Eye that the poor, overlooked Afrikaners in South Africa now being rescued from their immiseration by a benevolent Musk/Adelson Administration in the United States are actually having their applications for political asylum processed in . . . South Africa!
Damn decent of the dictatorship so oppressing them to allow that, eh?
I believe a significant proportion of the US migrants are high net worth individuals. This ought to be carefully managed to ensure it doesn’t simply add to wealth inequality. And I guess you’d agree that should include ongoing tax reform. How highly do you rate the chances of that happening under the caring leadership of Starmer and Reeves?
Very low.
History repeats itself. The Daily Mail gave support to Fascism in the 1930s. The same is happening today. I have just watched an Owen Jones video where he castigates Dan Hodge for his comments about Palestinians. Quote” Palestinians can just go to Hell”. The newspapers political line hasn’t changed in almost a hundred years. It will play a large part in the advent of Fascism in my country.
Hmmmmm – only rich Americans will come over here and I hope they get taxed.
All they will do is add to the influx of Southerners in the UK fleeing the expensive South East and whom will price out local people in the shires for housing with their spending power having liquidated their assets. I’ve seen this over the years and I’ve seen the consequences.
These ’emigres’ are coming to a very rich country which has lots of poor people in it. They should feel at home. Speaking for myself, I don’t want them, over paid and over here I’m afraid.