A new briefing by the Institute for Public Policy Research reviews the migration trends and policy changes in 2011 and looks forward to possible developments in 2012.
According to the IPPR briefing, 2012 will be a crucial year for the government, as it moves towards the halfway point of a parliament during which it has pledged to reduce net immigration to the 'tens of thousands'.
The briefing's author, Matt Cavanagh, writes: "Reducing immigration is a legitimate policy goal – but the choice of target brings two risks. The first is that by promising what it cannot deliver, the government, far from achieving its stated aim of taking the heat out of this emotive issue, will instead feed the public' s sense of disillusionment. The second risk is that the target will distort policy choices. This is happening across the board, for example with the proposal to introduce a high salary threshold for those wishing to marry someone from abroad. But the most troubling area, at a time when returning to growth should be the UK's top priority, are the wide-ranging changes to economic migration."
Read the full briefing at http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2011/12/migration-review-2011-12_Jan2012_8431.pdf
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