Immigration is often portrayed as a one-way flood of people coming into the UK. However, this myth ignores a crucial fact: migration is a two-way process. As people arrive in Britain, others are leaving. This gives us net migration figures, which for most years since 1840 have actually been negative. Before the economic crash, the number of migrants coming to Britain was roughly balanced with the number leaving. In fact, there are about 10 to 14 million people living in Britain who were not born here, and approximately the same number of British-born people who now live elsewhere. So rather than a flood, it's more like an exchange.
When we look at Britain's migration figures in a global context, we see that our experience is not at all remarkable. Migrants make up about 9 percent of the UK population, which is exactly the average for Europe. Britain actually has a smaller proportion of migrants than many other developed countries. The United States has 14 percent, Canada has 21 percent, and Australia has 28 percent. Several large European countries also have higher percentages, including Germany with 13 percent, Sweden with 14 percent, and France with 11 percent. These statistics clearly show that the UK's immigration levels are moderate by international standards.
When it comes to asylum seekers, the UK's position is again quite average for Europe. Britain ranks 14th out of 27 European countries when looking at asylum seekers per head of population. The UK receives fewer asylum applications than France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Belgium. As of 2012, the UN estimated that refugees, pending asylum cases, and stateless persons made up just 0.33 percent of the UK population. What's particularly important to understand is that it's actually the developing world that receives the vast majority of refugees, with 80 percent being hosted in developing countries, not in Europe or North America. This global perspective helps us understand that the UK's experience with asylum seekers is moderate and manageable compared to many other countries.
Looking at the historical data gives us an important perspective on UK migration. Contrary to the idea of a constant 'flood' of immigrants, for most years since 1840, net migration figures have actually been negative. This means more people were leaving Britain than arriving. During the colonial period, there was significant emigration from the UK to colonies and commonwealth countries. Before the economic crash in 2008, the number of migrants coming to Britain was roughly balanced with the number leaving. The data shows that there are approximately 10 to 14 million people living in Britain who were not born here, and a similar number of British-born people who now live elsewhere. This balanced exchange of population shows that migration is a complex, two-way process rather than a one-way flood.
To summarize what we've learned about immigration in the UK: First, migration is a two-way process, not a one-way flood. People are constantly arriving and leaving, creating a balanced exchange. Second, the UK has average migration levels compared to other developed countries. Migrants make up about 9 percent of the UK population, which is exactly the European average and lower than many other developed nations. Third, the UK receives fewer asylum seekers than many European countries, ranking 14th out of 27 European nations per capita. Fourth, from a historical perspective, for most years since 1840, more people have actually left the UK than arrived. And finally, the global data shows that 80 percent of refugees are hosted in developing countries, not in wealthy nations like the UK. These facts help counter the myth that the UK faces an unsustainable flood of immigrants.