Wembley in London is the immigration capital of the UK, with over half of its residents coming from abroad, while over half the capital’s population is made of immigrants. New immigrants make up a larger proportion of the population than they did in 1994, according to a new report. The Born Abroad report, based on the national census for the ten years up to 2001, showed that over half of Britain’s population growth in recent years could be attributed to immigration. It showed that the largest groups of people born abroad were people born in the Republic of Ireland, India, Pakistan, the Caribbean and the USA. The study by the Institute for Public Policy Research showed that the biggest increase in migrants from Africa during the period came from Somalia and Zimbabwe. Forty-two percent of immigrants are based in London, which took almost half of the increase between 1991 and 2001, it revealed, and African-born immigrants in Britain are doing better economically than many other migrants. BENEFITS The report also highlighted the need for policymakers to ensure that Britain makes the most of the benefits immigration brings, and tackles the related challenges efficiently and effectively. However, it has also reignited the debate on immigration – with an increase of almost two per cent in the number of foreign-born people living in Britain and without an indication of how many illegal immigrants there may be. Home Office minister Tony McNulty said the immigration situation was a complex one with people leaving as well as entering the UK. The research confirmed the vast majority of immigrants continued to settle in London or south-east England. IPPR director Nick Pearce said the study showed diversity had “changed considerably” over the past ten to 15 years. The Born Abroad project also brought together information on how well people fared within the economy. It revealed a complex picture of performance, including significant gaps within national groups as well as between them. It suggested some nationalities, particularly those who had come initially to seek refuge rather than work, tended to do worse – nationalities in this group included people from Iran, Angola and Somalia. Reprinted from voice-online.com