Janice R. Andrews
A new study shows that a record number of foreigners living in Britain are not working, which costs taxpayers a lot of money. The Centre for Migration Control’s study says that foreigners who don’t work could cost the UK up to £8.5 billion a year in lost wages. This new information has brought up old arguments about the country’s immigration policies and how they affect the economy.
Migrants’ unemployment and lack of economic activity
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says that 1,689,000 non-UK residents are either jobless or economically inactive, which means they are not looking for work. Before this number, the record was 1,676,000 at the beginning of 2024, and before that, it was 1,628,000 in early 2012. The information only includes people between the ages of 16 and 64 who were born outside of the UK and have the right to live in the UK. It does not include students or people seeking refuge.
The fact that more foreigners are losing their jobs and not working is a worrying trend that is making the UK economy very difficult. Based on a study by the Centre for Migration Control, the total amount of public money spent on unemployed migrants each year could reach as much as £20.3 billion. This includes costs for housing, transport, schooling, health care, and welfare.
Changes in public opinion and government policy
The results are expected to put more pressure on the government to make it harder for people to come to the country. Because of these numbers, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has put on hold the Conservative Party’s plan to raise the income level needed to bring a foreign partner to the UK from £29,000 to £38,700. Instead, the current government is working to improve the skills of the domestic population so that companies don’t have to hire people from other countries as much.
The study head at the Centre for Migration Control, Robert Bates, was very critical of the present immigration policies. He said, “The Labour Government seems to be missing the very obvious fact that mass migration is wrecking the economy, even though they keep talking about a “budget black hole.” There’s no reason for us to keep giving out so many long-term visas when we already help over a million people in Britain who aren’t working.
Bates also talked about the social effects, saying, “Our elderly are facing a potentially deadly winter as Keir Starmer ends the lifeline of the winter fuel allowance, but he is doing nothing to stop people from coming to the UK looking for work.”
Calls for changes to policies
The study has started a new discussion about UK immigration policy, with calls for stricter and more limited rules. The current policies are not working, according to Conservative MP Neil O’Brien, who has studied how immigration affects the workforce. He said, “This report shows migration policy is literally not working.” We need a system that stops a lot fewer people from coming in and is much pickier about who gets in. A small group of highly skilled workers coming here is fine with everyone, but our present immigration rules are not letting that happen.
What the government did
In response to the story, a government spokesperson said that the cost figures are too simple and don’t take into account how each migrant’s situation is unique. “It’s not right to use an average cost to migrants who are out of work; estimates need to take into account each person’s unique situation.” “Migrants of working age who are not students do not have to pay most of the costs of education and welfare,” the spokesperson said.
In Britain, the fight over immigration is still very heated. Politicians, economists, and regular people all have different ideas about how to best handle the economic and social effects of movement. As the UK deals with these problems, it will probably still be trying to find a balance between helping the economy grow and making sure that migrant policies are long-lasting and good for the whole country.
