Immigrants unlikely to return home during recession, equalities watchdog warns

Immigrants are unlikely to return to their homelands during the recession, according to a report, putting further pressure on the jobs market.

The study claims that foreign nationals who have put down roots in Britain are here to stay, and will not move back home just because of rising unemployment, which has just breached 2million for the first time in more than a decade.

Almost 3.7million foreign nationals moved to Britain between 1997 and 2006, according to the Migration Policy Institute's new study, while 1.5m people born in this country emigrated, leaving net migration at 2.2m.

” immigration is part of the solution to economic problems, not part of the problem. He said the solution was not to "clamp down" on people wanting to move to Britain but to help workers improve their skills so they can compete for jobs more effectively...”

And migration levels are predicted to remain high despite the economic downturn, making it more difficult for low-skilled Britons to find work and risking clashes with people born overseas.

There were protests across the country in January after Italian and Portuguese contractors were given jobs at the Lindsey Oil Refinery in North Lincolnshire, while support for the far-right British National Party is said to be increasing amid fears that British workers are losing out to foreigners in the hunt for scarce jobs.

The report published said: "Return migration is not likely to be highly responsive to rising unemployment for most immigrant groups... as strong social and family ties encourage immigrants to remain in the country.

"Extensive evidence from past downturns strongly supports the argument that migration flows are only partially sensitive to economic conditions.

"Furthermore, in the long run, the underlying drivers of migration... will remain strong, suggesting that migration flows will pick up again during the economic recovery."

Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of the campaign group Migrationwatch UK, said: "In the past, a recession has only had a temporary effect on immigration but we are now in an entirely new situation where large numbers of European citizens can enjoy the full benefit of the welfare state rather than go home.

"So it would be no surprise if they do just that."

But Trevor Phillips, the Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Government watchdog that ordered the study, insisted that immigration is part of the solution to economic problems, not part of the problem.

He said the solution was not to "clamp down" on people wanting to move to Britain but to help workers improve their skills so they can compete for jobs more effectively.

Mr Phillips said: "The solution will lie in adapting our workforce for the new economy – an economy that will be more knowledge-driven, not built around the large hulking industries and even more reliant on innovation and skilled workers to fuel growth."

Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, claimed migration "probably will reduce" in the future.

She said: "I think it will go down but I don't think it's going to disappear tomorrow." continues here

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