Net UK immigration of EU citizens from the EU has almost halted completely in some areas of the country, according to new research that has prompted calls for the abandonment of the uniform UK immigration policy.
According to data analysed by the Institute for Public Policy Research, there have been huge variations in UK immigration levels, with London and the south-east still seeing migration from the EU while other regions experience a huge drop in interest.
The most significant impact was seen in the north-west and Wales, where only 4,000 more EU citizens were attracted, as well as in the north-east, where only 3,000 more migrants were attracted.
In contrast, London drew 22,000 more EU citizens in 2016 compared the the previous year, while the south-east attracted 21,000 more.
Commenting on the results of the analysis, the IPPR paper entitled An Immigration Strategy for the UK concluded that a uniform UK immigration policy that failed to take into account regional variances in numbers would fail to meet Britain’s labour demands after Brexit comes into effect.
Phoebe Griffith, the author of the paper, said: “These latest statistics show our current immigration system is not working for the whole of the UK.
“As we leave the EU, we need to make sure each of our nations and regions – not just London – has a voice in shaping how immigration works in future, to meet their labour and demographic needs.”