The New York Times has highlighted the research on the fiscal effects of immigration to the UK conducted by Director Christian Dustmann and Deputy Director Tommaso Frattini of the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
In an article titled “Trying to Capitalize on Anti-Migrant Riots Could Backfire on U.K.’s Far Right,” Amanda Taub references their work, underscoring the positive economic impact of immigration in the UK.
Taub notes that public reaction to recent rioting has been overwhelmingly negative, suggesting that leveraging this unrest to advance anti-immigrant policies could be counterproductive, at least in the short term.
“In fact, while immigration is a frequent political flashpoint in the country, Britain is a notable success story when it comes to several measures of immigrant integration. Children of immigrants to Britain tend to be better off financially than their parents, which is not true of many immigrant communities in France and Germany, for example, and studies show that immigrants are a net positive for the British economy.”
This statement is grounded in the research by Director Christian Dustmann and Deputy Director Tommaso Frattini, particularly their study titled “The Fiscal Effects of Immigration to the UK“.
Their findings reveal that immigrants who arrived in the UK since 2000 have made consistently positive fiscal contributions, regardless of their country of origin. Between 2001 and 2011, recent immigrants from the A10 countries contributed approximately 12% more to the fiscal system than they received, amounting to a net contribution of £5 billion. European immigrants from other EU countries contributed £15 billion, with fiscal payments 64% higher than the benefits they received. Immigrants from non-EU countries contributed £5.2 billion, providing 3% more than they took out. In contrast, native-born residents made a negative fiscal contribution of £616.5 billion over the same period. Overall, immigration to the UK between 2001 and 2011 resulted in a positive net fiscal contribution of about £25 billion during a time when the UK was running a budget deficit.
You can read the full text on the UCL webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/economics/about-department/fiscal-effects-immigration-uk
This research serves as a powerful reminder of the significant contributions immigrants make to the UK, both economically and socially, challenging the often negative narratives that surround immigration debates.
