In the News Teaching Activity – Unprecedented net migration into the UK (Dec 2023)

Ed Conway, Economics correspondent at Sky News, does a deep dive into the recent data showing high net migration figures.

As the government tries to meet its promise to reduce immigration and to establish its £290 million Rwanda deterrent to ‘stop the boats’, the latest data on net migration suggests that more than 700,000 immigrants came over to the UK in 2022, mostly to work and study. Economic migrants bring both benefits and costs to the economy and it is important not to confuse economic migrants with those seeking asylum. Many of the new non-EU immigrants work in health and care; it is unclear whether the government’s recent planned crackdown on visa rules, where skilled workers will need to earn a minimum of £38,700 and care workers will not be allowed to bring their dependents with them will meet the needs of the UK economy.

Why is immigration at record levels since Brexit? | UK News | Sky News

1 What is ‘net migration’?

2 Sum up the key information about net migration to the UK from Ed Conway’s video clip.

3 Discuss the economic benefits and costs of a sharp rise in net migration for the UK economy.