>> Over the last 10 years net migration has averaged 300k pa. It fell (unsurprisingly) in
>> 2020 and 2021 (Covid, Brexit) and the high current figures are to some extent a
>> simple bounce back.
I think that's right. 2022/3 will, I suspect be an outlier. There have been significant numbers admitted from Ukraine and to a lesser extent Hong Kong under humanitarian schemes. Undoubtedly both students and workers for Health/Social care etc will be on the bounceback after Covid.
I think there are good reasons to exclude students from net migration unless/until they successfully settle for work etc. From what I've seen about hard cases going wrong they're on a short leash, reported on by the Unis and drop kicked home without ceremony if things are not right. Or just just don't fit in with rules. They're our customers; not that different from tourists. They're in Uni provided halls for the most part so not taking housing from the indigenes.
People coming to work are simply responding to a market. The rule allowing them to be underpaid 20% is a disgrace and distorts the market.
Remember a conversation just after the referendum with a law student who was volunteering at work. We both observed that immigrtion post Brexit would only go down seriously if the economy was carashed as a consequence.
From 2008 until last year people were almost paying to lend money to the UK government. They could have investd billions in Social Housing with the cost fully covered by rent. Needless to say neither strip actually did it...
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