The
UK has the lowest proportion of migrants of any EU country, according to Home
Office research.
The
report found that migration is now the main component of population change in
the UK, with migrants heavily concentrated in London and the South East.
The
inflow is predominantly of working age with asylum-seekers representing between
a sixth and a third of the total annual inflow.
The
foreign national workforce in the UK has risen steadily by more than a quarter
since 1995 and there has been a growth of 124 per cent in the proportion of
women among employed migrants since the 1970s.
The
report also found that a third of the labour force comes from less developed
countries and there has been a substantial rise in the number of work permits
issued, especially in the health and IT sectors.
The
report analysed a range of data on trends and patterns of UK migration over the
past 20 years, with particular reference to aspects affecting the labour
supply.
