London and migration
London is a city built on migration. It has the largest number
of migrants among all regions of the UK. In the year ending June
2021, about half of the UK's foreign- born population (48% in
total) were either in London (35% - 3,346,000) or the Southeast
(13% - 1,286,000). Migration boosts London's economy. According
to a 2017 PwC report, there were 1.8m migrant workers in the city
and on average, each contributed a net additional £46,000 in
Gross Value Added (GVA) per annum to London's economy, making a
total contribution is around £83bn - 22% of London's GVA
per annum.
Any changes to immigration policy will affect many Londoners, as
happened last year with the introduction of several new visas, the
closure of others and revamps of existing visa routes. 2023
promises to be a year of consolidation where the visa application
and management process continues to be fine-tuned and digitised,
making it easier to use and navigate for businesses
