The number of people who applied for asylum in the third quarter of 2003 was 11,955 (13 per cent higher than the previous quarter, but 40 per cent lower than a year earlier). The government said that it had met its target to halve the number of asylum applicants, comparing 4,225 applications in September 2003 with 8,770 in October 2002. Campaigners criticised the erosion of protection to people fleeing human rights abuses in their home countries.
Source: Asylum Statistics: 3rd Quarter 2003 - United Kingdom, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | Press release 27 November 2003, Home Office (0870 000 1585) | Press release 27 November 2003, Amnesty International UK (020 7814 6241)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release | Amnesty press release | Refugee Council press release
Date: 2003-Nov
An estimated 153,000 more people arrived to live in the United Kingdom for at least a year in 2002 than left to live elsewhere, according to migration estimates. This estimate of net in-migration was lower than the estimate of 172,000 for 2001; it was also slightly lower than the estimates for 1999 and 2000 (163,000 in both years).
Source: International Migration Estimates 2002, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
An official summary of statistics on immigration in 2002 was published. Applications for asylum, excluding dependants, increased by 18 per cent to 84,130. Overall, an estimated 42 per cent of applications resulted in either grants of asylum (10 per cent), exceptional leave to remain (23 per cent) or allowed appeals (10 per cent). There was a 22 per cent increase in the number of after-entry decisions. Grants of settlement rose by 7 per cent to 116,000: this was mainly due to a rise in employment-related grants and other grants on a discretionary basis. The total number of persons removed from the United Kingdom was 65,460, an increase of 33 per cent on the previous year. There was an estimated net inward migration of just over 153,000 persons, 10 per cent lower than 2001.
Source: Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2002, Cm 6053, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
An official report said that, in 2001, an estimated 172,000 more people migrated to the United Kingdom than from it: this was slightly higher than the revised estimates for 1999 and 2000, both of 163,000. An article outlined the method by which the Office for National Statistics revised the estimate in the light of the 2001 Census results.
Source: International Migration: Migrants entering or leaving the United Kingdom and England and Wales, 2001, Series MN 28, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034) | 'Revised international migration estimates 1991-2001', Population Trends 113, Autumn 2003, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf) | Home Office press release | Population Trends article (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
Between mid-2001 and mid-2002 the south west had the largest net gain of internal migrants, out of all regions in England and Wales. The local authorities with the highest net gains were mainly in the south west, east midlands, east and south east regions. The biggest net outflows were from London boroughs and other large urban areas such as Birmingham, Manchester and Bradford.
Source: 'Internal migration estimates for local and former health authorities in England and Wales, 2002', Population Trends 113, Autumn 2003, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
The Home Secretary admitted that the government had no accurate estimates of the number of failed asylum seekers living illegally in the United Kingdom. The opposition Conservative Party said it planned a network of 'holding centres' for asylum applicants on offshore islands.
Source: The Guardian, 22 September 2003 | The Guardian, 9 September 2003
Links: Guardian report | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
The number of people who applied for asylum in the second quarter of 2003 was 10,585 (34 per cent lower than the previous quarter, and 47.3 per cent lower than a year earlier). Campaigners attacked the setting of targets for reducing asylum applications.
Source: Asylum Statistics: 2nd Quarter 2003 - United Kingdom, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | Press release 28.8.03, Amnesty International UK (020 7814 6241)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release | Amnesty press release | IPPR press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2003-Aug
In 2002, applications for asylum (excluding dependants) increased by 18 per cent to 84,130; applications for British citizenship rose by 6 per cent to 115,170; and 115,895 people were granted settlement in the United Kingdom, an 8 per cent increase.
Source: Tina Heath, Richard Jeffries and Adam Lloyd, Asylum Statistics: United Kingdom 2002, Statistical Bulletin 08/03, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | Jill Dudley and Simon Woollacott, Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom: 2002, Statistical Bulletin 09/03, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | Jill Dudley, Gill Turner and Simon Woollacott, Control of Immigration: Statistics: United Kingdom, 2002, Statistical Bulletin 10/03, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Bulletin 08/03 (pdf) | Bulletin 09/03 (pdf) | Bulletin 10/03 (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A report from a group opposed to large-scale immigration said that annual immigration to the United Kingdom from the new Eastern European members of the European Union could be as much as four times higher than the government's estimate.
Source: The Impact of EU Enlargement on Migration Flows, MigrationwatchUK (01869 337007)
Links: Report (pdf) | MigrationwatchUK press release
Date: 2003-Aug
A study concluded that enlargement of the European Union from 2004 would increase net immigration to the United Kingdom by 5-13,000 per year.
Source: Christian Dustmann, The Impact of EU Enlargement on Migration Flows, Online Report 25/03, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
An estimated 480,000 people arrived to live in the United Kingdom for at least a year in 2001, and 308,000 left to live elsewhere, according to revised migration estimates. This revised estimate of net in-migration of 172,000 was slightly higher than the revised estimates of 163,000 for both 1999 and 2000.
Source: Press release 12.6.03, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun