Policy Hub
On 17 April 2009, Communities and Local Government (CLG) published a report (Projections of migration inflows under alternative scenarios for the UK and world economies) which examines the impact of the global economic downturn on the flow of migrants to the UK.
The report notes that the UK has been affected relatively severely by the global economic crisis. It forecasts that by 2015, the recession could result in net migration to the UK being some 50,000 lower than would otherwise be the case.
The report also predicts that the number of migrants arriving in the UK from Accession 8 counties (the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) is likely to fall most dramatically. Consequently, it suggests a downward revision of projections relating to the population of migrants resident in the UK in 2015 by around 360,000, suggesting a reduction of the UK labour force by about 200,000.
Projections of migration inflows under alternative scenarios for the UK and world economies (PDF)