One In Ten Among Britain’s Population Was Born Abroad

One in ten among Britains population was born abroad

Richard Ford
From The Times
June 26, 2007

Foreign-born people now make up almost one in ten of the population after a decade of high levels of immigration, according to a report published yesterday.

The foreign-born population has risen by almost half a million a year and is significantly higher than in previous decades.

A key factor in a surge in 2005 was the influx of migrants from former Soviet bloc states that joined the EU in May 2004, said the report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The organisations annual international migration outlook said that the proportion of foreign-born people in 2005 was 9.7 per cent, or about 5.8 million. Indians made up the largest group with 570,000, followed by 417,000 from the Republic of Ireland and 274,000 from Pakistan.

Since May 2004 an estimated 630,000 migrants from Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have registered for work and an unknown number of self-employed workers from the eight states have come here.

The report said that in 2002 there were only 24,000 Polish citizens in Britain, rising to 110,000 in 2005. By 2006 the total including those who had taken on British nationality stood at 229,000.

The report also documented a fall in the number of people seeking asylum, though Britain remains the second-most-popular destination for asylum seekers among the 30 members of the club of industrialised states. In first place was France. Asylum applications peaked at more than 103,000 in 2002 but new laws introduced by the Government, plus a general decline in applications in Western Europe, reduced numbers to 30,800 in 2005.

The report shows that increasing numbers of foreign-born residents are taking up British nationality, with 161,780 becoming naturalised in 2005, compared with 37,010 in 1997, the year Labour came to power.

There was a surge in applications for citizenship before November 2005, when new tests on English language and life in Britain had to be taken to obtain a British passport.

Since Labour came to power, one million immigrants have been granted citizenship, though the number given a passport in 2006 fell by 5 per cent on the previous year.

Almost one third of new citizens in 2006 came from Africa originally with a further 19 per cent from the Indian sub-continent and a further 16 per cent from the rest of Asia.

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Comments From Readers:

In 2004 there were 4.3 million here, in just 3 years there are 6.7 million. How can any country absorb these sorts of numbers especially when the country's infrastructure has remained the same with regards to schools, hospitals, doctors surgeries, welfare services, benefits system, public transport & roads. Most of these people need interpreters all paid for by the taxpayer. Why is the government so intent on the demise of the traditional British culture & way of life. Our laws have been changed to stop us voicing concerns & protecting our living standards & way of life in favour of not hurting the feelings of immigrants who in the main do not want to integrate. Most of these immigrants probably call themselves 'British' because they have 'acquired 'British' passports or because they were born here. Well, all I can say is, they're not – they are what their religion, roots, DNA, culture say they are. What do they say . . . if your born or live in a stable it doesn't mean your a donkey

Lynda Plum, London, england

The numbers of migrant who are leaving in Britain reported by times online i believe is exergerated. Britain cannot eat her cake and have it. according to history most of this migrant, paticularly from some asian and afican countries are British colonies.before Britain became what it is today, they too migrated to this countries, ruled them and benefited from their natural resources til date.lynda plum should stop worrying about things she cannot change the government who allows migrant in the country knows what they are doing. its better for British natives to start getting use to it now and stop complaining. and focus on the advantages of allowing migrants in the country. and government should educate native British more on this issue as most of them complaining are ignorants. stop worrying about migrants its a complex issue. LOOK AFTER YOURSELF AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE!

ELIZABETH JENIVEN, GLASGOW, UK

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