Migration Watch UK

Migration Watch is an anti-immigration lobby group in the United Kingdom. It claims to "provide objective and comprehensible information about the scale of immigration and asylum to the UK so that there can be a rational debate.". It was founded by Sir Andrew Green who is a former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

It has been accused of confusing asylum and migration and of discounting those who leave the UK. Former Labour Party immigration minister Barbara Roche described it as a "peddler of exaggeration and distortion".

They say 'there is no demographic crisis in the UK. The birth rate at 1.7 is not far below the replacement level of 2.1.'

Official History
Migration Watch UK is a think tank. "It is chaired by Sir Andrew Green, a former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The Vice Chairman is Mr Alp Mehmet, MVO, a former Ambassador to Iceland. We have a distinguished Advisory Council from diverse ethnic and professional backgrounds.

"We entirely accept that genuine refugees should be welcomed; nowadays those granted protection comprise only about 3% of net foreign immigration.

"We also recognise that many immigrants have made a valuable contribution to our society in terms both of skills and diversity so we are not opposed to immigration that is moderate and managed. At present it is neither.

"Our purpose is to monitor developments, conduct research, and provide the public with full and accurate facts placed in their proper context. We also make recommendations for policy.

"Since its formation in September 2008 we have provided research for the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration led by Frank Field MP (Labour) and Nicholas Soames MP (Conservative). Details of the Group and their proposals can be found at www.balancedmigration.org" (Balanced Migration)

Advisory Council
Accessed April 2013:


 * Kiran Bali
 * David Coleman (UK)
 * Baroness Caroline Cox
 * John Entwistle
 * Sir Andrew Green
 * George Kronfli
 * Alp Mehmet
 * Harry Mitchell (UK)
 * Ahmed Ibrahim Mukhtar
 * Patricia Skitmore
 * Hazhir Teimourian
 * Roger Williams

Contact
Web: http://www.migrationwatchuk.org