Where can I get the real stats on immmigration please? Sorry, not exactly a Bank Holiday question.

[Tinker]

After spending yet another afternoon listening to a DM reader ranting about how all "immigrants" (this being a catch-all phrase for anyone this person doesn't want here) come to the UK, where can I get the truth to back up arguments? I know he's wrong but would love to able to quote up-to-date reliable stats.

Thank you

Home Office site, Tink?

(I haven't looked at any of it but there are lots of sections!)

"In 2003, the nationalities accounting for the most applications were Somali, Iraqi, Chinese, Zimbabwean and Iranian".

And applications fell by 41%. Hm.

The 2004 stats are only available quarterly atm - no nice neat summary.

Are you wanting worldwide figures though? How many go to other countries?

EU asylum facts 1999-2001

(EU only, and asylum, not other migration)

OECD trends in international migration - page 3 has some nice tables (but there are 74 pages! I didn't look any further.)

I will stop now

Oh, except to say 2001 appears to be the latest year with complete stats as far as google is concerned.

LOL Tinker! If it weren't for the DM, how many Mumsnet threads wouldn't exist? They're doing us all a valuable service!

What about National Statistics?

Oh, thank you people . Will peruse and absorb. Want stats on how many asylum seekrs and immigrantst into EU and then how many into UK .I shouldn't really get this bothered by this person, these "conversations" are so predictable and the truth would make no difference whatsoever anyway but... We're talking about a real Alf Garnett here. Should but just feel soooooo

Well, exactly kama. Had Irish grandparents, I "shouldn't" be here

It would be useful info to have wouldn't it Tinker? I think MI has done some research on this, hope she sees this.

Actually had something pushed through teh door about this - anti-BNP stuff. Had it handy when he was here at Christmas but was when the subject didn't come up - a first!

God I hate these DM arguments!

BBC has some good stuff, search for immigration or asylum for some good articles:

Immigration figures
This says about 50% of immigrants are people that Brits are marrying from abroad, btw.

Are we being swamped?
This mentions that the UK is only 8th in European countries for numbers of asylum seekers.

I'm not sure what I feel about this site but it seems to have lots of information on. It feels 'wrong'.

mp - thanks, should have thought of teh BBC

Sue - Migration Watch is set-up by a right-wing anti-immigrationist, I'm pretty sure.

That's how it felt Tinker. Sort of protesting its independence etc too strongly; making a big deal about how the people involved had spent so much time overseas in places like Far East, Nigeria etc as if doing so would make them naturally neutral/broadminded.

Like a NF booklet, it reads like it should make perfect sense but something tells you someone's trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

MI - you around? Told you can help

This looks like fairly comprehensive data for immigration into the UK in 2003. Migration Data Website gives a fair amount of data about the subject up to 2002.

Thanks lm. Thought that was Migration Watch again for a minute