Eastern European Migrants fleeing Britain as Recession bites
(24 February 2009)

Quarterly statistics covering immigration and asylum were published by the Home Office today. Work applications from the eight accession countries have fallen to their lowest level since they joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, according to the latest Accession Monitoring Report. In the three months to December last year, there were 29,000 applications from workers from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia and the Czech Republic - down from 53,000 in the same period in 2007. The decrease is mainly explained by a drop in approved Polish applicants, which fell to 16,000 in the last quarter of 2008 from 36,000 in the same period in 2007.

The statistics also show that the majority of workers coming from the A8 countries in 2008 were young - 78 per cent were aged between 18 and 34 - and only 11 per cent stated they had dependants living with them in the UK when they registered. Of those registered in 2008, 86 per cent were working for more than 35 hours per week.

Although applications for jobseekers allowance from A8 nationals rose in the last quarter of 2008, of the 2,540 who made applications only 832 were put forward for further consideration.

The Bulgarian and Romanian Accession Statistics show that applications from these two countries have also fallen. There were 920 applications for accession worker cards and 6,990 applications for registration certificates in the last quarter of 2008. For the same period in 2007 the figures were 1,260 and 8,845 respectively.

The number of Eastern Europeans coming here is dramatically falling

Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said: "The number of Eastern Europeans coming here to work is dramatically falling and research suggests that many of those that came have now gone home. Nevertheless, the Government is doing everything it can to ensure migration is working for the British labour market and the country as a whole.

"We have already demonstrated the flexibility of the points system through the suspension of the low-skilled worker tier and our plans to toughen up the existing Resident Labour Market test for employers. This will ensure that during these economic times, when people are losing jobs, people already here have the first crack of the whip at getting work."

The Control of Immigration Statistics for the last quarter of 2008 show that asylum applications have fallen by two per cent - down from 6,870 between October and December 2007 to 6,735 in the same period for 2008. The number of initial decisions to refuse or grant asylum was three per cent up, with 4,720 decisions being made in the last quarter of 2008 compared to 4,570 in the same period in 2007.

Between October and December 2008 16,525 people were removed or departed voluntarily from the UK. This includes 2,570 failed asylum seekers and their dependants and 13,950 non asylum cases. This is a two per cent fall from the same period the previous year.

A yearly comparison shows that overall removals and voluntary departures are five per cent up - increasing from 63,365 in 2007 to 66,275 in 2008. There was a fall of 15 per cent to 11,640 for those leaving who had claimed asylum (including dependants) but an increase of ten per cent to 54,635 for non-asylum cases in 2008.

Mr Woolas said: "We are coming down hard on those who seek to abuse the system. Our tough new force at the border last year stopped over 28,000 individual attempts to cross the Channel illegally, while our asylum caseworkers are on track to conclude 90 per cent of new asylum cases within six months by 2011.

"Our ability to return those who have no right to be here depends on detaining them and successfully repatriating them. That is why we will continue to work closely with the police, increase our detention capacity by 420 beds this year, and secure further agreements with key countries to take their nationals back."

5,000 foreign prisoners sent back

Today's Control of Immigration Statistics also confirm that the UK Border Agency met its target to remove more than 5,000 foreign national prisoners in 2008. For the first time the quarterly Control of Immigration Statistics includes a figure for the number of foreign prisoners removed - showing that 5,395 criminals were sent home last year.

Mr Woolas said: "By exceeding the tough target of removing 5,000 foreign lawbreakers from the UK last year we have made it clear that Britain will not tolerate those that come here and break our rules.

"There is no place in Britain for those that continue to abuse our trust. We now consider for deportation all non-EEA foreign nationals who go to prison for serious drug and gun offences no matter what the length of sentence."

The Control of Immigration Statistics also confirm that the UK Border Agency has met a key milestone in concluding 60 per cent of new asylum cases within six months by the end of 2008.