In 2022, the United Kingdom saw an unexpected, unprecedented, and unfathomable surge in immigration, the likes of which had never been seen before. Yes, net migration reached record levels, which attracted scrutiny from politicians, the press, and the general public, and further fed the fire of mounting tension that was spreading across the country.
Now, with this fire threatening to engulf so many of us, I think it’s high time that we take a look back at the year 2022, at a time when post-COVID hysteria, humanitarian crises, economic demand, and post-Brexit reforms created the perfect storm. If we want to truly get to the bottom of the 2022 immigration rise, then we need to examine multiple factors. That’s because this wasn’t just a simple one-off event caused by something simple that I can articulate with crayons and drawings.
Multiple migration routes, all under serious stress, contributed to the sharp increase in immigration in 2022, so, without any further ado, let’s take a closer look at these a little more closely.
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Humanitarian Programmes
Without a doubt, one of the biggest contributors to immigration in 2022 was the way in which the UK responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – an event which quickly became an international humanitarian crisis. The UK government introduced new visa schemes intended to help Ukrainians seeking safety in Britain. This decision made a lot of sense, especially for those who already had family residing in the UK, but the Homes for Ukraine scheme also created new opportunities for community sponsorship.
Meanwhile, the UK also welcomed people from Hong Kong via the British National (Overseas) Programme – a route that gave eligible Hong Kongers and their family members the chance to relocate and eventually apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Altogether, these humanitarian arrivals and the exceptional circumstances surrounding them were very much out of the UK government’s control and contributed circa 172,000 to the overall immigration statistics in 2022.
The Return of International Students
Imagine for a moment the image of a beach, where the tide creeps further and further out, until only sand remains. Until sometime later, a tsunami comes crashing down, completely covering the beach. Well, that’s how I’d describe the number of overseas students coming to the UK from 2020 to 2022.
After the pandemic in 2022, the UK had a record high of first-year entrants as universities bounced back from their COVID slump, as students from all over the world flocked over to study at British universities.
Policies introduced in previous years improved the country’s appeal as a havenistic utopia for prospective students; the Graduate Route, most notably, has meant that eligible international students can stay in the UK after they graduate while they look for work. It is also worth pointing out that each of the 485,000 international students contributed to the UK economy in the form of tuition fees, accommodation costs, and transport, not to mention their expenditure in hospitality settings and their postgraduate working contributions.
Labour Demand Encouraged Skilled Migration
The UK is no stranger to skills shortages. Since Brexit, Britain has lost access to a large proportion of its overseas workforce needed for industries like construction, agriculture, social care and hospitality.
As a result, the government needed to find a way to attract overseas workers to move over permanently, and this is why they created Skilled Worker Visas and Health and Care Worker Visas, which brought in a total of 235,000 people altogether.
Brexit Changed Migration Patterns
Now, to the elephant in the room, which definitely deserves its own category. When the UK left the European Union, immigration patterns completely and irrevocably changed. Freedom of movement between the UK and the EU came to an abrupt end; in its place, a single immigration framework was soon established, abolishing the previous distinction between European and non-European workers.
So, what happened next? Employers became increasingly dependent on talent from countries in Africa and Asia. Yes, migration from the EU continued in much lower numbers, but the overall makeup of the UK’s immigration completely changed, as people came over on the new points-based system that was still in its infancy and, some would argue, not as restrictive as it should’ve been.
Family Migration Continued to Support Communities
Much as it always has been, the Family visa was a core component of the UK’s immigration system in 2022, which contributed significantly to the overall immigration numbers. British citizens and settled UK residents can sponsor their spouses, partners, children and a variety of other family members who might be eligible under existing immigration rules.
Family migration has long been seen as net positive for the UK, as it fosters community stability in the long term by uniting families who can each contribute to society via employment, entrepreneurship, and education. The estimated number of Family visas in 2022 was 80,000-90,000.
Small Boats
The other elephant in the room: despite the uproar and the headlines, asylum seekers who came to the UK via small boat crossing made up just below 4% of the 1.2 million people who immigrated to the UK in 2022. In total, these 45,755 arrivals were a record high for the route, but aren’t representative of the UK’s overall immigration system.
Looking Beyond the Record Figures
2022’s exceptional migration levels reflect a unique crossover of international events, the global pandemic recovery, and domestic policy developments. The vast majority of analysts view 2022 as an anomalous year in which several migration drivers operated at enormous levels simultaneously.
Some people came fleeing war, many came to pursue their studies, while others came to live with loved ones by getting a Spouse Visa in the UK. When we take a closer look at each one of these channels that drive the UK immigration system, we can get a clearer understanding of why 2022 became the record-breaking year that it was.
