Migration statistics: The Observer, 29 April 2007
Migration statistics
The Observer, 29 April 2007
A story headlined 'Immigration figures are false' reported claims by councils that they were considering doing their own polls because government statistics were underestimating the total influx. The paper acknowledged that ONS planned to improve its methods for tracking immigration but reported critics' claims that the new methodology announced last week showed that the number of migrants entering London supposedly decreased by 60,000 between 2002 and 2005.
Karen Dunnell wrote to the paper, pointing out that while the number of migrants living in London was 60,000 below original estimates, the trend over time remained upwards in contrast to the impression given in the story.
Issue date: 29 April 2007
Type: Letter to the Press
Sir,
Your article ("Immigration figures are false", 29 April) questioned both our migration figures and the improvements we plan to make this year. ONS does not say that the number of migrants entering London decreased by 60,000 between 2002 and 2005. Our figures show an increase from 187,000 each year in 2002/3 to 215,000 each year in 2004/5.
One of our planned improvements is to use our largest household survey (the Labour Force Survey) to estimate what proportion of long term migrants settled in each region. This shows that, in each of the years 2002 to 2005, a smaller proportion of recent migrants to the UK were actually living in London than previously estimated from our port survey (the International Passenger Survey). Based on this and other improvements, the estimated increase in London's population as a result of long term international migration over the four year period, is likely to be 336,000. While this is 60,000 less than originally estimated, the trend over time remains upwards in contrast to the impression given by your story.
Yours faithfully,
Karen Dunnell
National Statistician
Office for National Statistics
1 Drummond Gate
London
SW1V 2QQ
