Migration and the UK

(GCSE Geography)
Due to increased international migration into the UK, many changes have occurred within the population. There are two main factors for the growth of our population; net immigration and rising birth rates. Immigration (arriving migrants) rates to the UK are significantly higher than the emigration (leaving citizens) rates which overall causes the population to increase. Statistically, the UK's population increased from 54.3 million (1965) to 65 million (2015). The increase slowed down from 1965-1980 however since the 1980s, the growth has been steady, with a rapid increase between 2010 and 2015.

There are many impacts of international migration;

• Generally, international migrants settle in and around cities providing a new source of cheap or unskilled/skilled work. (PRO)
• Migration to cities increases population density and puts pressure on services (CON)
• Many migrants are young and have families which provides more economically active workers and also can change the structure of a population (PRO)
• Migrants also bring cultural exchange and different religions/ forms of religions (PRO)

Migrating birds(Richard Lee)

In the UK and EU we have immigration policies which are policies and grounds of why an immigrant can enter a country. There are different ways to settle in the UK.

• Long-term work
• Temporary work
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Students
• Visitors

So why in the 1950s was there a sudden boom in international migration? 

1. 1950s Responding to a shortage of workers, the UK government encouraged former colonies (like India, Pakistan, China) to immigrate and fill jobs in factories, transport etc. Mostly young families with economically active workers migrated and by 1971, over a million immigrants had arrived form Pakistan, China, India and Pakistan.
2. 1970s  In the 70s, there was no longer a shortage of jobs so the government was forced to place some regulations and control the immigration. Many of the immigrants went to cities such as Birmingham.
3. 2004 In this period of economic growth, immigrants started to arrive from eastern European countries such as Poland, Latvia and Estonia. Roughly 80% were young and between 18 and 34. These immigrants came to cities like London and Birmingham taking up many cheap and unskilled work with informal working hours such as cleaners, pizza delivery, babysitting etc
4. 2012-2015 Due to war, between 2012 and 2015, many people fled from Syria and Afghanistan to England to seek refuge. These, like many other immigrants, went to cities like Birmingham.
5. 2014 In 2014, just like previously, many people from China, India and Poland also emigrated to England. 

Some pretty cool luggage (Caroline Selfors)

Although we frequently discuss migration from external countries, there is also migration within our country. This internal migration doesn't effect the overall population of the country however it is important to know why people move about a country. Within the UK there are two main types of migration, rural to urban migration and retirement migration;

1. Rural to urban migration is where residents if rural areas (typically the economically active) migrate to rural, more populous areas. This is often because rural areas lack opportunities for work, education, services and leisure activities. This is all about push and pull factors.
2. On the other hand, retirement migration is where retired, elderly dependants move out of populous urban areas and into rural areas for a better quality of life and standard of living.