This table is hugely interesting - if
you can appreciate, and are fascinated by, statistics. It shows the number and
percentage of EU and non EU-citizens living in each member state
(+EFTA/Schengen members).
Looking at this table produced some surprises for me. One would think from all the current
rhetoric that the UK is being overrun by migrants. Yet if you look at column 2
non-native UK residents make up less than 10% of the UK's population. There are
11 countries where this figure is more than 10%, so the UK is an
averagely-favoured migration location not the 'honey pot' that some claim.
If
you then look at EU migration figures the proportion of non-native EU residents in
the UK is just below 5%, putting in (about) no. 10 in the most favoured
locations for EU (and EFTA/Schengen citizens) to relocate to. (I'm doing these
calculations in % rather than than real terms).
Then if you look at column 6 Thirteen EU/EFTA countries have
a higher percentage of residents of non EU origin - which is actually quite
suprising given Britain's colonial history.
All this makes me wonder: why are the
Brits so up in arms about this? It's not a 'being swamped by Johnny-foreigner'
things (as I thought might the case). It's something about the British
mentality.
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1 comment:
Permit me if I may two points
1. Concentrated settlement occurred historically in areas of available employment and subsequently grew.
2.Undue attention was and is drawn to the immigrant population by a hostile right wing press dedicated to dividing the nation and allowing its continued domination by the titled and wealthy elite
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