E.g., 04/16/2024
E.g., 04/16/2024
Will Somerville
Experts & Staff
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Will Somerville

UK Senior Fellow

Will Somerville joined the Migration Policy Institute as a Senior Policy Analyst in 2006, and is now UK Senior Fellow. He is also the Program Director for Unbound Philanthropy (UK) and Visiting Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield.

Prior to joining MPI, Mr. Somerville worked at the Commission for Racial Equality, the UK's Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, Cabinet Office, and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). He has authored more than 60 policy papers, chapters, and journal articles. His most recent book is Immigration under New Labour (2007, Policy Press).

He holds a master’s degree (with distinction) in social policy from the London School of Economics.

Bio Page Tabs

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Reports
October 2009
By  Will Somerville
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Reports
June 2009
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Madeleine Sumption and Will Somerville
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Reports
March 2009
By  Madeleine Sumption and Will Somerville
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Reports
March 2009
By  Madeleine Sumption and Will Somerville
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Reports
January 2009
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Madeleine Sumption and Will Somerville
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Reports
November 2008
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Will Somerville and Hiroyuki Tanaka
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Reports
October 2008
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Will Somerville and Hiroyuki Tanaka
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Policy Briefs
July 2008
By  Aaron Terrazas, Jamie Durana and Will Somerville

Pages

Refugees prepare to be resettled in the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom was once a country primarily of emigration, but in recent decades many more migrants have arrived at its borders than have left. This decades-long transition was interrupted by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, and this article describes the inflection point at which the country finds itself.

Prime Minister David Cameron speaking outside Number 10 Downing Street

Against a backdrop of anxieties about migration, the United Kingdom's government set a referendum for June 2016 on whether to withdraw from the European Union. This article explores the role played by migration in the decision to call the referendum, how immigration might influence the result, and finally the implications of both referendum outcomes (Leave and Remain) in terms of migration policy and regulation.

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The United Kingdom has faced changing immigration patterns over the last two decades driven largely by EU migration, and political upheaval caused by the rise of the United Kingdom Independence Party and the Scottish National Party. Upcoming general elections in May 2015 will have a significant impact not only on immigration policies but the United Kingdom's place in the European Union.

Recent immigration to the United Kingdom is larger and more diverse than at any point in its history. This updated profile examines how the global recession is affecting migration flows, the latest immigration and asylum data, and overviews of new immigration and integration policies.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who announced his resignation this week, leaves behind an immigration system that has been fundamentally reshaped. As MPI's Will Somerville explains, migration is now "managed" to favor migrants coming for work and study.

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Commentaries
June 2016
By  Will Somerville

Recent Activity

Reports
January 2014
This report analyzes how governments ought to best allocate their resources to address the risks associated with migration—the "immigration harms" that undermine the positive economic and social benefits of immigration—including choosing which threats to tackle and where to prioritize enforcement efforts. Immigration policymakers can learn from other public policy regulation efforts to ensure that regulatory actions advance the public interest.
Policy Briefs
May 2013
This policy brief explores the relationship between environmental change and migration to Europe in light of recent scholarship challenging the notion that environmental change triggers mass migration. It presents an overview of European policy response in this area and summarizes the spectrum of proposed solutions.
Reports
May 2012

This report analyzes developments in UK integration policy over the past 15 years—a period in which immigration levels increased substantially, with the composition of migration flows becoming increasingly temporary and diverse in nature. The analysis focuses on whether or not policy has influenced national identity, integration outcomes, and neighborhood cohesion.

Reports
April 2011

Noncoercive, pay-to-go, voluntary, assisted voluntary, and nonforced returns generally can offer paid travel and/or other financial incentive to encourage unauthorized immigrants to cooperate with immigration officials and leave host countries. A look at three key rationales for governments to choose pay-to-go and other returns.

Reports
January 2010

The enlargement of the European Union has fundamentally changed migration patterns to the United Kingdom. Since May 2004 an estimated 1.5 million workers have moved to the UK from new EU member states. This report looks at the challenges ahead as migration patterns shift across the UK.

Reports
October 2009

The size and characteristics of immigration to the UK have changed significantly. Immigrants are more numerous, more mobile, and more diverse than ever before. This report looks at the differing immigration patterns.

Articles

Recent immigration to the United Kingdom is larger and more diverse than at any point in its history. This updated profile examines how the global recession is affecting migration flows, the latest immigration and asylum data, and overviews of new immigration and integration policies.

Reports
June 2009

This report explores the fundamental question of how successful integration and immigrant social mobility is in Europe and North America. The authors examine the economic performance and rate of labor market assimilation for first and second generation immigrants, and outline what policymakers can do to promote the social mobility and integration of immigrants and their children.

 

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