Most illegal migrants likely to be white
insidejob | 24.05.2010 22:35 | Migration | Birmingham | World
If there is uncontrolled immigration, it is because the immigration authorities know that the people wants it. And it's not because of cheap labour, or silly conspiracy theories about undermining British culture. It is because of racial solidarity among white people.
Long-stay immigrants into the UK from Poland, India and China are outnumbered by Germans, South Africans, North Americans, people from the white Commonwealth and returning Britons.
Official figures show that of the top ten migrant countries in 2008, 137,000 were from the first group and 152,000 from the second group.
There is no debate in the media, among politicians and among the public concerning North Americans and the white Commonwealth.
The fact that they ‘take jobs’ in the UK does not feature as an issue among those who are most concerned about immigration.
The anti-immigration campaign group Migration Watch and UKIP create fear about immigration numbers and fail to point out that immigrants include people from Australia, US, New Zealand and others.
The figures are contained in the Office for National Statistics latest annual report on migration, Migration Statistics 2008,
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm71/7197/7197.pdf
Of those intending to stay for a long period, the report states:
British, 77,000 (i.e. UK citizens returning to the UK)
Poland, 54,000
India, 48,000
China, 18,000
Germany, 18,000
Pakistan, 17,000
USA, 15,000
South Africa, Australia, Italy, 14,000
The report suggests that many of the Indian, Chinese and perhaps Pakistani long-stay migrants are students. It states: ‘More than half of all migrants arriving in the UK for formal study were citizens of an Asian country. Of the 91,000 Asian migrants arriving in the UK in 2008 to study, 22 per cent were Indian citizens and 17 per cent were Chinese citizens.’
The number of asylum seekers have been falling. Official figures excluding dependants, states that asylum applications received in 2006 was 23,610, 8 per cent less than in 2005.
In terms of all visitors and migrants into the UK, the report states: ‘Citizens of the United States of America (USA) comprised 32 per cent of total non-EEA admissions, the nationality with by far the most admissions, representing an increase of 6 per cent to 4.1 million in 2006. The next three nationalities with the highest numbers of admissions were Australia (up 8 per cent to 1.1 million), Canada (up 11 per cent to 1.0 million) and India (up 23 per cent to 0.8 million).’
It is likely that most illegal immigrants are from North America and white Commonwealth countries.
According to the Institute for Public Policy Research, few people sneak into the country undetected so most illegal immigrants are overstayers, or people who stay in the UK beyond their entitlement.
There are few figures concerning overstayers by country. When Australia checked their overstayers in 2005, they found the top countries were the US and Britain.
Official figures show that of the top ten migrant countries in 2008, 137,000 were from the first group and 152,000 from the second group.
There is no debate in the media, among politicians and among the public concerning North Americans and the white Commonwealth.
The fact that they ‘take jobs’ in the UK does not feature as an issue among those who are most concerned about immigration.
The anti-immigration campaign group Migration Watch and UKIP create fear about immigration numbers and fail to point out that immigrants include people from Australia, US, New Zealand and others.
The figures are contained in the Office for National Statistics latest annual report on migration, Migration Statistics 2008,
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm71/7197/7197.pdf Of those intending to stay for a long period, the report states:
British, 77,000 (i.e. UK citizens returning to the UK)
Poland, 54,000
India, 48,000
China, 18,000
Germany, 18,000
Pakistan, 17,000
USA, 15,000
South Africa, Australia, Italy, 14,000
The report suggests that many of the Indian, Chinese and perhaps Pakistani long-stay migrants are students. It states: ‘More than half of all migrants arriving in the UK for formal study were citizens of an Asian country. Of the 91,000 Asian migrants arriving in the UK in 2008 to study, 22 per cent were Indian citizens and 17 per cent were Chinese citizens.’
The number of asylum seekers have been falling. Official figures excluding dependants, states that asylum applications received in 2006 was 23,610, 8 per cent less than in 2005.
In terms of all visitors and migrants into the UK, the report states: ‘Citizens of the United States of America (USA) comprised 32 per cent of total non-EEA admissions, the nationality with by far the most admissions, representing an increase of 6 per cent to 4.1 million in 2006. The next three nationalities with the highest numbers of admissions were Australia (up 8 per cent to 1.1 million), Canada (up 11 per cent to 1.0 million) and India (up 23 per cent to 0.8 million).’
It is likely that most illegal immigrants are from North America and white Commonwealth countries.
According to the Institute for Public Policy Research, few people sneak into the country undetected so most illegal immigrants are overstayers, or people who stay in the UK beyond their entitlement.
There are few figures concerning overstayers by country. When Australia checked their overstayers in 2005, they found the top countries were the US and Britain.
insidejob
Comments
Hide the following 10 comments
UK must accept young Anglo-Australian refugees
25.05.2010 06:53
Australians from its Multi-Cultural-Australia plan. These young people have been
told to "clean-toilets" by the Prime Minister and to "leave-home and work in any
job" by the deputy Prime Minister. The plan for a Multi-Cultural-Australia incorporates
the most hideous aspects of Himmler's plan to exterminate inferior races. You must
convince the lesser races that there is no hope, that there is no-one to turn to. Ask any working class young and impoverished young Australian what there is to do and they will not be able to answer. Job well done Multi-Cultural-Capitalism, you must receive a promotion. But there is some-one to turn to. Many countries would welcome educated and environmentally aware young white people. UK must also accept these people, you must let them know that there is someone to turn to.
Zagovor
Illegal?
25.05.2010 11:14
What a poor article, the author doesn't appear to have the slightest understanding of our current immigration laws. Before disagreeing with something it's generally best to understand what it is you object to.
Six
All over the place
25.05.2010 12:35
This piece is trying to make a valid point, but trips up over its own argument.
If the key factor driving anti-immigration feelings was “racial solidarity”, why would so much press attention be given to white immigrants from Poland? You only need to read through the Daily Mail and see all the complaints about East European immigrants.
“Long-stay immigrants into the UK from Poland, India and China are outnumbered by Germans, South Africans, North Americans, people from the white Commonwealth and returning Britons.”
OK – that’s misleading because I’m not sure who would count a “returning Briton” as an immigrant, in the way that word is understood. Take out the 77,000 returning Britons, then “Poland, India and China” aren’t outnumbered at all – it’s the other way round. Poland and India are the two top homes of immigrants, as the figures clearly show. There are three times as many Polish immigrants than German immigrants. (These figures don’t match the ones in the Home Office document, unless I’m looking on the wrong page, btw).
This also confuses your race argument, as Polish immigrants tend to be white, so it’s not clear what you’re getting at.
“There is no debate in the media, among politicians and among the public concerning North Americans and the white Commonwealth.”
Not strictly true– see this for a starter:
There’s also been a massive clamp-down on the length of work visas for people from Australia, South Africa and so on in recent years.
Finally, jumping from saying “nationality x are more likely to overstay their visas” to “nationality x must therefore be the biggest number of illegal immigrants” is a leap too far. If there are millions more visitors from a rich country like the US, it’s logical that there would be a greater number from there who mess up by accident and overstay their visas by a week or some before heading home.
That does not mean they remain as illegal immigrants – and, as the above poster has pointed out, you also seem shaky on the EU legality issue.
Norvello
Immigration debate, still about race
25.05.2010 14:13
EU migrants are not illegal so Poles cannot be included in that group. Nor so are returning Britons, i.e. those who settled abroad. It is not necessary to include these groups for the article to make its point. The majority of illegal migrants are overstayers and, I would argue, are white. Therefore, the public don't make a fuss about illegal immigrants from the white Commonwealth and North America because of racial solidarity.
Most British people would not count returning Britons at all as long stay migrants. The question is when parties like UKIP and groups like Migrant Watch bandy figures around, do they? I suspect they do.
The single article from The Independent is from 1994 and does not demonstrate that there is a media debate about migration and the white Commonwealth. The greater restriction of migrants from the white Commonwealth has not received much publicity at all. (Interesting that Norvello knows about this.) The figures quoted in my article is from 2008. The long stay figures are from Table 3.
It is difficult to get figures on overstayers by country. I would bet money that an FOI would show that the top overstayers are from the white Commonwealth and N America. If anyone has figures to contradict my article, please present it.
I would say the debate is both directly and indirectly about race. That is, Brits have solidarity with groups that were part of colonial aggression. Therefore, there is less solidarity with Irish people, who were subject to colonialism, and Polish people, who were not part of the colonial project. That is, British people have solidarity with those groups who were leaders in the white supremacist project. Those who are part of that project (white South Africans, North Americans, Australians, etc.) are not regarded as immigrants.
insidejob
Racial AND Linguistic / Cultural Solidarity.
25.05.2010 17:28
People from Poland, Romania etc are white but they have a different language and not the same degree of common history.
Although, technically, people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada are more "foreign" (at least in a legal sense from the viewpoint of residence permits, visas etc), they don't seem as "strange" because they speak the same language and are from a familiar culture. In addition, we are far more familiar with the way of life in, say, America or Australia, through seeing it on television.
Of course, this matters nothing to the xenophobes who write the tabloid press. They claim not to be racist because they are only complaining about numbers. However, all their horror stories are about Poles, Muslims, Romas, Africans etc - never a word of criticism of "nice" white immigrants from Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe or Australia who are obviously all paragons of virtue who never claim benefits or commit crimes.
Gregory Beetle
Could be power or wealth
25.05.2010 20:08
Although, technically, people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada are more "foreign" (at least in a legal sense from the viewpoint of residence permits, visas etc), they don't seem as "strange" because they speak the same language and are from a familiar culture.'
you may have a point. But Brits share culture, language, history with Irish people but they got a lot of hostility when they came to the England in the 50s and 60s. The language issue do not fit with the French. It is difficult to imagine complaints about French immigrants.
It could be that Brits do not like immigrants from poorer countries both black and white. It also could be about power and influence. Brits prefer to pick on countries who do not have power to hit back. Poland has little power but Australia or France have sufficient power and influence to embarrass the UK.
insidejob
Some extra figures
26.05.2010 12:39
As I said, you’ve raised a good subject – I just thought you muddled it by bringing in Poland and returning Britons.
The change to “white Commonwealth” working visas which I thought was recent actually occurred back in 2005 – sorry, the time's flown. See “Visa rule could create City staff shortage” (The Financial Times). The cut backs on Australian and New Zealander visas were possibly to rectify complaints of racism the previous year, as there had been different rules for the “white Commonwealth”. So that backs up your general point.
I also think you’re totally right to draw attention to the fact that immigrants are probably mostly white.
But I think you’re still going to have to try harder if you want to prove that there are more North Americans and Canadians staying here illegally. The fact is there is far less imperative for them to stay in the UK than there is for say, someone (of whatever race) who has grown up in a poorer country. It’s also much easier to visit the UK from the US because of arrangements between the two countries, so there is less need to enter illegally in the first place.
The suggestion that a correlation must exist between the total number of legal immigrants here from a country, and the total number of illegal immigrants doesn’t ring true. And the question isn't how many overstay their visa by a week, then fly home (which will happen with a lot of visiting US students), but how many stay.
So how can we calculate where highest number of illegal immigrants do come from? It's not perfect, but one possible indication might be the numbers who the immigration services are either deporting or turning away at the airport, both in asylum and non asylum cases. You can find them in the latest Home Office figures, the ones for 2008, listed by nationality.
Here’s the top 25:
Brazil 1,700
India 1,675
Afghanistan 955
Pakistan 865
China (inc. Taiwan) 865
Nigeria 820
USA 665
Vietnam 555
Iraq 380
Bangladesh 330
Iran 325
Malaysia 315
South Africa 290
Ghana 270
Jamaica 270
Albania 260
EU Accession States (9) 225
Turkey 225
Eritrea 220
Mauritius 205
Canada 195
Ukraine 170
Sri Lanka 170
Bolivia 165
Algeria 140
It is very interesting how high up the USA and Canada appear – some right-wingers and tabloids would be surprised that more are made to leave from the USA than from about a dozen African countries put together.
But it’s not high enough to fully back up your argument.
More work needed, I suppose…
Norvello
Overstay figures still needed
26.05.2010 15:40
'So how can we calculate where highest number of illegal immigrants do come from? It's not perfect, but one possible indication might be the numbers who the immigration services are either deporting or turning away at the airport, both in asylum and non asylum cases.'
thanks for those statistics. The problem is that these figures could show the bias in the immigration authorities. They may tend to go for people from poor countries rather than those from the White Commonwealth.
A web search has come up with this 2000 general illegal immigration article from the BBC
Tuesday, 27 June, 2000, 09:49 GMT 10:49 UK
Illegal immigrants: UK overview
One other large category of illegal immigrants in the UK, known as "overstayers", is made up of people from non-visa countries, such as the Commonwealth, who enter the country legally but stay longer than they are supposed to.
JCWI estimates there are 40,000 Australians alone who fall into this group.'
A number of people have commented on Australian (sorry about picking on that country) overstayers:
BeautifulBurnout
30 Apr 2009, 10:55PM
'I spend about 40%-50% of my time in the Immigration Tribunals and am astounded never to see a single Australian, Canadian or American visa overstayer, even though I know from personal experience that there are hundreds of them working in London. Yet the UK Borders Agency will refuse a Pakistani student on the basis that they have "not been able to verify" his diploma (i.e. couldn't be bothered to phone the college (a reputable institution in London) or look at their website, the address of which is emblazoned on the headed paper with the guy's Transcript).
What is this, if not institutional racism disguised as "policy"?'
thanks Norvello
insidejob
Fair point
26.05.2010 16:07
Totally fair point about potentially racist attitudes of immigration services possibly skewing the nationalities they tend to target - I was going to mention that too, and should have done so.
Strange that they seem to have something in for the Brazilians, but, hey, so do the Met...
Norvello
Good points, Insidejob ..
26.05.2010 17:12
I'd be inclined to say that the Irish is a special case: while we certainly DO share a language and a history, that history has, to put it mildly, "not been as amicable as perhaps it could have been". :0)
Gregory Beetle