New figures released today by the Office for National Statistics suggest that the world-wide economic crisis has had a significant impact on migration flows to and from the UK, according to the think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Net immigration to the UK in the year to June 2009 was:
* 147,000 – down from 168,000 in the year to June 2008 (and a peak of 245,000 in 2004).
* Net immigration from the new EU member states was down to 10,000 (from a peak of almost 90,000 in 2007).

But the modest decline in net flows between 2008 and 2009 disguises some more striking changes in overall patterns of migration.
* In the year to June 2009 146,000 British nationals emigrated from the UK, and 87,000 came back to the UK.
* This meant that net emigration by British nationals was 59,000, down from 89,000 in the year to June 2008 (and a peak of well over 100,000 in 2004), due to both decreased emigration and increased return.
* In the same time period, net immigration by non-British nationals was 206,000, down from 257,000 in the year to June 2008 (and a peak of over 350,000 in 2004).

Tim Finch, Head of Migration at ippr, said:

In all the heated debate around this issue, the importance of British migration is often neglected. The number of Brits going to live abroad or coming back to this country is a key component of overall flows. The recession seems to have significantly reduced emigration by British people, as well as reducing the numbers of non-British nationals coming to the UK. This is a reminder that migration is always a two-way street.

New research soon to be published by ippr shows that there are an estimated 5.4 British nationals living overseas – but the emigration boom among Brits seems to have slowed, at the same time that immigration to this country is slowing. When times are tough, people seem to be less likely to move, or if they do, it’s more often to go home.

All figures taken from ONS Migration Statistics Quarterly Report, February 2010 and ONS Long-Term International Migration time series.

The estimate of Britons living overseas is taken from a forthcoming ippr report titled Making the Most of the British Diaspora which will be published in June 2010.
From a press release

Reader comments

1. Paul Sandars

   RT @libcon: Report: More Brits come back after emigrating http://bit.ly/a1Qy8j

2. Liberal Conspiracy

   Report: More Brits come back after emigrating http://bit.ly/a1Qy8j

3. Hannah Mudge

   RT @libcon Report: More Brits come back after emigrating http://bit.ly/a1Qy8j

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.