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CONCERN OVER BRITAIN’S ‘BACK DOOR MIGRANTS’ By Alan Oakley
Concerns have been raised about the number of migrants born outside the EU who are able to make their way to Britain legally by gaining citizenship in another European country.
Research by Oxford University’s Migration Observatory has shown that the number of immigrants in Britain under the European Union’s ‘freedom of movement’ rights who are not natives of the nation from which they entered has more than tripled in the last decade. The research showed there are now 264,000 foreigners in Britain who were born outside Europe and then obtained EU citizenship by living in another European country. In 2004 the number stood at just 78,000. Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of MigrationWatch which campaigns for tougher immigration controls, said: “This increasing flow could become a back door to Britain. “The issue of passports is the responsibility of the individual EU countries and these passports carry with them the right to free movement. “This development strengthens the case for stronger controls on access to the UK which is now freely granted to EU migrants.” More than a fifth of the total – 54,000 migrants - came to Britain after first living in Portugal. The second largest group came via Italy, with 36,000, followed by France (33,000), Spain (30,000), Ireland (21,000) and the Netherlands (19,000). In terms of their country of birth, the largest group detailed in the Oxford Uni-
Lord Green of MigrationWatch wants EU citizens who enter the UK to be vetted regarding their country of birth
versity research came from India, with 24,000 arrivals, followed by South Africa (15,000), North America (14,000), Brazil (13,000) and Sri Lanka (11,000). The research, based on data from the official Labour Force Survey, does not reveal how long the migrating EU citizens lived in other European countries before coming to Britain. However, their average ago was 38 and they were slightly
less likely to be in work than other EU citizens. Figures showed 73 per cent were in employment, compared with the EU average of 80 per cent. Three out of 10 were in professional jobs or management roles – a proportion higher than the 22 per cent average. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory, said: “EU mi-
grants who were born outside the EU are a small share of the UK’s migrant population, but they have distinctive characteristics. “Interestingly, they have been more successful in finding high-skilled work than people born in the EU.
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