The real cost of falling migration numbers

By Atul Hatwal. A massive decline in people coming to the UK to study means British businesses will lose hundreds of millions a year. The latest migration figures released today herald another drop in the net numbers coming to this country – down from 247,000 to 163,000. It sounds like good news: effectively managed migration based on secure borders is in the interests of all concerned, migrant and UK citizen alike.But in the rush to applaud any cut in numbers, we run the risk of ignoring some very real economic consequences. Half of today's fall in migration came from the plummeting numbers of international students coming to Britain to study. In the previous year there were 239,000, but in the latest figures this had fallen to 197,000: a drop of 42,000. These students contribute a massive amount to the British economy through tuition fees and their day-to-day spending in this country. Read more...