Policy area: Migration

Reports

Asylum management centres – a new approach to reduce small boat crossings

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum calls on government to set up new asylum management centres in France to divert asylum seekers into safe routes. With rising small boat arrivals and a dysfunctional asylum system, the government faces growing pressure to demonstrate control at the border. But achieving a significant and...

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Politics or principle? Making sense of the Government’s White Paper on immigration, and how should business respond

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation sets out six key takeaways for how business should think about proactively engaging with the proposals. Given the Government’s statements on how it views business’ use of overseas workers, the White Paper provided an opportunity for the Government to put its money where its mouth...

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A positive contribution

This report from UK think tank Bright Blue attempts to offer a popular and effective set of policies to improve our immigration system. This essay collection is an attempt to offer a popular and effective set of policies to improve our immigration system, rooted in centre-right principles: control, contribution and cohesion. That is, national governments...

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Reform to conserve: a novel approach to the UK and the ECtHR via the Council of Europe

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society presents the case for reforming the European Court of Human Rights to address growing concerns over its perceived constraints on UK sovereignty. This policy paper presents a compelling case for reforming the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to address growing concerns over its perceived...

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Precarious prospects

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines the labour market experiences of foreign-born workers. This briefing note – the second in a Resolution Foundation research programme on precarious work in the UK, supported by Unbound Philanthropy – examines the labour market experiences of foreign-born workers. While many secure high-skilled, well-paid jobs, we...

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Why government should introduce an annual migration plan

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government outlines how government could strengthen the process for developing immigration policy to better achieve its overall objectives.  The government’s work to set out its plan for immigration in a white paper is an opportunity to more strategically reassess how migration policies are developed. In 2019,...

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Understanding Populism

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines populism through the prism of policy. As populism experiences a resurgence in the UK, and across much of the western world, the Social Market Foundation has undertaken research from a policy perspective to understand what populism is, what factors correlate to increased populist support...

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Gold and the war in Sudan

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at how regional solutions can support an end to conflict. The gold trade connects Sudan’s civil war to the wider region and highlights the roles that commodities play in perpetuating violent conflict. Even before the start of the civil war in 2023, Sudan’s main warring parties...

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Ukraine’s fight for its people

This report from UK think tank Chatham House examines strategies for refugee and diaspora engagement. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 caused a huge exodus of refugees, now estimated to number almost 7 million (one in six of the pre-war population). The longer the war continues, the fewer refugees are likely to return...

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Studying and staying: public attitudes towards international students

This report from UK think tank British Future examines public attitudes towards international students. British Future research examining public attitudes to international student migration, including student numbers and net migration. The report also examines public views on the contribution of students to the national and local economies; about some students being allowed to bring their...

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How migrant smuggling has fuelled conflict in Libya

This report from UK think tank Chatham House analyses three key transit hubs to understand the development of migrant smuggling networks through Libya. Migrant smuggling is not a new phenomenon in Libya. In the post-Gaddafi period, the country has become the main corridor for illegal migration into Europe from the African continent. To date, European...

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Ageing in the fast and slow lane

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines geographic gaps in ageing across the country. All developed countries are ageing, and the UK is no different. The combination of rising life expectancy, a large cohort of baby boomers moving into retirement and falling birth rates means the country’s median age rose from 33.9...

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How the government can design better asylum policy

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government puts forward recommendations to help the government set a clear direction and a coherent asylum strategy. The government must exert its authority over the whole asylum system and avoid short-sighted measures aimed at conjuring an illusion of control. This report puts forward recommendations to help...

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From backwater to battleground

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the political importance of a joined-up immigration and skills policy in the UK. The new Labour government views the perceived dependence of some sectors of the UK economy on overseas workers as unsustainable and contrary to the national interest. Joined-up immigration and skills policy...

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Transforming asylum accommodation

This report from UK think tank IPPR calls for an end to the ineffective use of resources on unsuitable accommodation and proposes a reimagined approach to asylum housing. Asylum accommodation costs have soared in recent years, with billions of pounds being spent on housing people in inadequate conditions, which is both a waste of public...

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Related Events

4 June 2025

Location: Online

Think tank: Institute for Government

In conversation with Jeremy Hunt MP: Britain’s place in the world

At this event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Government Jeremy Hunt MP will discuss his new book and the questions it raises. Britain has been through a difficult period since the global financial crisis, leading many to conclude the country is doomed to inevitable decline. But Jeremy Hunt, who was at the top...

Related Articles

Post Covid-19, what should be the primary focus for UK immigration policy

After the coronavirus crisis and the recognised contribution of key workers, many of whom are immigrants, has this changed the immigration debate? A points-based system will prevent migrants from working in many key roles By Cameron Boyle (The Foreign Policy Centre) One positive to emerge from the COVID-19 era has been the increased appreciation for...

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