6 April, 2004

A. Composition of migrants

1. Settlement figures
In the period 1998-2002 (5 years) the proportions of the total number of grants of settlement were as follows:

Note: 1) Employment and Asylum includes dependants who are about half of the total for employment. 2) Asylum numbers will only include those granted asylum and Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR) and therefore understate true levels of migration caused through asylum (i.e. those who stay on illegally after claims rejected are not counted in the official figures) 3) Employment figures are in respect of Work Permits issued 4 years earlier – so will not reflect current high inflows.

Source: Derived from Home Office Control of Immigration Statistics 2002 On-line Publication 10/03 Table 4.1

2. Net migration figures
Net non-EU immigration in 2002 was 233,000. Our estimate of the breakdown by category is:

Notes:

Asylum = 104,000 claimants
Less: 14,000 removals
Less: 8,000 voluntary departures (based on Home Office claim that 10% of failed asylum seekers leave of their own accord).
Less: 4,000 safe country applicants removed (approx)

Long-term Work Permit holders
Estimated inflow/extensions including dependants = 118,000
Less outflow of 52,000 gives 66,000, including 30% for dependants.

Students
Net inflow of non-EU students in IPS in 2001 was c 39,000 (source MN28) – so rounded up to 40,000

Spouses and fiances
From Control of Immigration Statistics UK 2002 CM6053 Table 3.2

Other dependants
Assumed to be c 20,000 to bring totals for family formation up to settlement figures.

Others
Would include categories such as working holidaymakers, au pairs - numbers being admitted under these categories are fairly stable and are therefore assumed to be in balance – inflows and outflows.

B. Source of asylum seekers

Note: excludes dependants
Education and qualifications are likely to vary considerably – but most are unlikely to be highly educated.

C. Spouses and dependants granted settlement (including dependants of WP holders and refugees) - 2002

About three-quarters are from the developing world – most are unlikely to be highly educated or skilled.

D. Work Permits

In a written answer to Dominic Grieve in 2003, Beverley Hughes gave a breakdown of WP’s issued in 2002-3. Most are for skilled workers. She listed the main categories - covering 126,000 permits. Almost 29,000 (23%) were in respect of nurses (most of them issued in-country, for reasons which are unclear). Nurses are almost exclusively from developing countries. Teachers numbered 8,000 - mainly from the developed world but also South Africa and Jamaica contributing prominently.

A few are for less skilled occupations – particularly chefs - nearly 5,000 and other hotel/catering occupations - nearly 2,000.