Pre Release Question 10

Question 10
Q10) What do migration and net migration mean ?
Why might more migrants have entered the UK in 1992 and 1997 ? or during that period...
Why might migrant numbers have fallen in 1995 and 2000 ?

Why do migrant numbers vary ?

A10)

Think about the reasons why people move, and the possible attractions of the UK.
Remember that the UK is part of the EU, and we get migrants from Eastern Europe especially since 2004.

The BBC have produced an excellent resource on this theme called DESTINATION UK.The diagram above was taken from the Destination UK site.
Some useful things to consider:

• 7.5% of people living in Britain were born abroad

The research suggested asylum seekers come to the UK for four main reasons:

• to be with relatives or friends
• to speak or learn English
• a belief that the UK is a safe, tolerant and civilised country
• historic links, such as through the former British Empire

Migration is the movement from one place to another which involves a change of residence. When people don't actually move house, for example, to travel to work or go on holiday, this is generally in the shorter term and is called CIRCULATION.

Net migration takes into account the fact that some people LEAVE and others ARRIVE.

The BBC site tackles what it calls the 5 'big questions' on immigration.

1) Are we being swamped ?
2) Are we a 'soft touch' ?
3) Are they economic migrants ?
4) Can we afford to have so many migrants ?
5) What about the role of organised crime ?

What do you think are possible answers to these questions ?