Why has UK Immigration Gone Up Since Brexit?

Despite the leave campaign promising that Brexit would bring down immigration, the latest figures could be at record levels. So in this video, we're going to break down the numbers and try to explain why immigration numbers are so high in the UK.

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0:00 Intro
1:30 How migration patterns have changed over time
2:29 How immigration numbers have changed since Brexit
3:30 Why is immigration so high?
3:39 Why are there more students?
4:57 Why are there more workers?
7:06 Sponsor

[beard-bear-]

The idea that Boris Johnson actually increased net immigration is beautifully ironic 😂

[mattiiful]

Everyone that voted for Brexit with stopping immigration as their main driving factor gives a surprise Pikachu face when you tell them immigration didn't stop, just EU immigration stopped

[phoeniximperator]

The irony is if Britain hadn't left the EU they would be blaming the EU for all of its troubles

[lookingforsomething]

It's kind of funny in a sad way how now with Brexit the UK does all the same things as before, but many at much higher cost and with extra bureaucracy. If only someone had said Brexit would be a disaster.

[Llkc]

As an Eastern European, I'm happy to see less workers going there that we need here. Thanks again Britain 👍

[blargl]

Brexit has been ironic and contradictory since Day 1

[pisquared]

So let me get this straight:
1. Illegal immigration went up because the Tory brexit because we couldn't repatriate illegal immigrations (who mostly come via France) because France/the EU has no longer any obligation to take them back as they did before.
2. Legal immigration went up because the Tory MPs decided to adopt an Australian points based immigration in place of the requirement that immigrants had to have an offer of a job first. This is not surprising because the aim of the Australian points based immigration system is to encourage immigration, and that is exactly what it has done in the UK, much to the rather dopey Tory party's chagrin.
3. EU based migrant workers previously only came to UK for a short period to do seasonal work on farms, and they would go to other parts of the EU to do seasonal work there the rest of the year. The stopping of free movement of EU migrant workers means that temporary migrant workers have now become permanent immigrants.
4. Students come to UK on student visas which are temporary, as is the two years they are allowed to gain work experience before they have to leave. They are therefore not immigrants, and should not therefore not be counted as immigrants - Oh wait a minute, the Tory home office don't bother tracking people on temporary visas, and don't process visa applications, or expired visas in a timely manner, and so can't enforce return of people who have overstayed their visa.

So just like in every other field of human endevour, Tory stupidity and incompetence leaves its mark.

[axelstryder]

Brexit is the best gift the UK could have given Brussels to strenghten the EU. Thanks chaps!

[Welgeldiguniekalias]

2016: We hold all the cards. Everyone will immediately benefit from Brexit. Cheaper shoes! 😎
2019: EU is being unreasonable, but at least we will reduce immigration. 😡
2023: It was fully apparent to everyone that we voted to be poorer in exchange for sovereignty. 😭

[cosmedelustrac]

At least the Tories Can no longer use the EU as a scapegoat for immigration.

[Balance]

Boris Johnson introducing one of the most liberal immigration policies ever was a fun plot twist

[KSH]

Thanks to all the Brexit voters who didn't have a clue what they where voting for. 🙃

[madmadagascar]

I lived in London for 5 months in 2008 and worked at a bar. Usually the first question i got asked was if i was Polish. After i said i wasnt, some people were a little bit friendlier but barely. Never felt welcome there unfortunately. All my friends were Aussie, Kiwi or other Europeans.

[oscarmachado]

Another aspect that makes a difference is that before Brexit a lot of the immigration from the EU was of people that in large numbers came temporarily. I knew numerous people from several EU countries that would come stay a few years, imprive their English, gained experience and then went back to their countries after a few years. Especially after weddings, or starting a family many would leave. Now I NEVER met a single non-EU immigrant that once they make it to the UK will want to leave. Most of them come from third world places like India, Pakistan or African countries. They struggled to get a Visa to be able to get in the UK. They accept being underpaid because their employment is tied to a visa sponsorship - leave the job and you have to leave the country - they will stay their 5 years on visa, immediately apply for permanent residence after 5 years and by year 6 they are all applying for a British passport so they can never be forced to leave, nor they will ever want to. And once they have the passport they will start bringing the rest of the family in on dependent visa from their country. That is something that no EU immigrants before Brexit would normally do. Most would save some money, buy a house in their own country and wiuld never be seen in the UK again.

[phil]

If only someone had said that Brexit wouldn't work 🤔🤔

[philipknowles]

The point was made time and again that immigration would increase after Brexit - that we would need to fill all the vacancies created by departing EU workers with workers from non-EU countries. That was airily dismissed as "Project Fear". Yet here we are.

Immigration is mostly based on the economy's demand for cheap labour. I spoke to a lot of people from various African countries (mosy spoke both French and English) before the brexit vote. Generally they wanted brexit to go ahead because they would get a share of the jobs previously done by Europeans.

[shemthom]

As a non EU student Brexit made the UK much easier to come to. Idk what they’re thinking. Brexit means European students pay the same high fees as international students and why would they do that when they can stay in their home country. Sooo no Europeans in the UK and don’t mention the workers and lost business

[v.sandrone]

as an Australian, I support our approach to poach trained professionals from the UK and the numbers are increasing every year.

[josephinenilsson]

I’m a Swede with a degree in finance who have dreamt of moving to London all my life (both my mother and my grandmother have lived there in the 60’s and the 80’s respectively, and my grandmothers sister, who I was very close to, lived there until she died in the 90’s, so I feel very close to London). Brexit happened about a year before I graduated from one of the worlds top 100 universities (Lund). Evidently I am the kind of immigrant who is not welcome in the UK.