Why do people migrate to Britain?
Britain, Great Britain, Global Britain, why do so many people come to this dingy little country off the coast of main Europe? The fact of the matter is, despite the dismal weather, the UK is home to a beautiful landscape, rich history, world-class universities, robust employment rights and the outstanding healthcare system.
Work
The primary reason people come to the UK is to take advantage of the booming labour market. 4
The type of employment which the government has announced it will be pushing for, however, is quite specific. According to the government they are hoping to transform the economy into a “highly skilled, highly paid” environment.
To this extent, they’ve created a new points-based system which hopes to attract such labour. In order to pass the new immigration system, which will be rolled out at the beginning of next year, you will need to secure 70 points. These points will be awarded on the basis of your educational background; if you have secured a job offer; if said job offer is at a skilled level; your level of salary.
The government is particularly interested to see an increase in STEM experts coming to the UK, so if you do work in this field, the new migration system may suit you well.
Education
The second most popular reason for migration is education. Brits enjoy world-class higher education institutions at their doorstep without the exorbitant fees Americans are forced to pay.
In terms of global ranking, the UK has 5 universities in the QS world’s top 20 universities. These are Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, UCL and Imperial university.
These institutions have a rich history of churning out global leaders from Mohandas K. Gandhi, a key figure during the Indian independence movement, to Imran Khan, Pakistan’s current Prime Minister, even former US President, Bill Clinton.
Culture
Britain’s history and culture attract millions of visitors each year. Tourists often flock to see the palace guards and hope to catch a glimpse of the queen. However, the real treasures are in the variety of museums and art galleries within London many of which have benefited from imperial plunder and have a wide array of artefacts from across the globe.
Common concerns about moving to the UK
Brexit
Brexit has indeed been passed, meaning that the UK has withdrawn from the European Union. Yes, we haven’t fallen off a cliff and yes we are still accepting foreign nationals. Brexit, was in part, influenced by unsubstantiated concerns over migration.
This fixation of low-skilled migration is likely to negatively impact sectors which are heavily reliant on low-skilled EU labour such as the social care sector where there are.