Will Somerville
Will Somerville joined MPI as a Senior Policy Analyst in 2006, and is now UK Senior Fellow. He is 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, as well as the book, Immigration under New Labour (2007, Policy Press).
He holds a master’s degree (with distinction) in social policy from the London School of Economics.
Explore Content by Will Somerville
Showing 1-10 of 22 total results
United Kingdom’s Decades-Long Immigration Shift Interrupted by Brexit and the Pandemic
Brexit and other events have reshaped UK immigration flows and policy, as this country profile explains.
Applying behavioural insights to support immigrant integration and social cohesion
Behavioural insights remain untapped in integration policy, yet evidence from health and tax shows they can improve cohesion and service access at low cost.
When the Dust Settles: Migration policy after Brexit
The 2016 Brexit vote delivered an unambiguous message on migration control, but the policy path ahead remains uncertain, complex, and largely unplanned.
Brexit: The Role of Migration in the Upcoming EU Referendum
The UK’s 2016 EU referendum has become, in part, a vote on migration, pitting the prospect of tighter border control against the benefits of free movement.
Engaging the Anxious Middle on Immigration Reform: Evidence from the UK Debate
UK polling reveals a majority anxious middle that is skeptical of immigration governance but not hostile to immigrants—a nuance British policymakers have consistently missed.
Assessing the Political Impact of Immigration as the United Kingdom Heads to the Polls
A failed net migration pledge, the rise of the United Kingdom Independence Party, and a possible EU referendum converge in the United Kingdom's 2015 election.
A Strategic Framework for Creating Legality and Order in Immigration
Immigration enforcement lags other regulatory fields by failing to apply evidence-based, proportionate, and strategically prioritized responses to immigration harms.
Trade-Offs in Immigration Enforcement
Return-only enforcement globally is costly and incomplete, making regularization an indispensable complement to deportation in any credible migration enforcement regime.
Migration and Environmental Change: Assessing the developing European approach
Climate-linked migration should be contextualized within broader migration frameworks, rather than treating it as a category requiring separate legal protections.
Building a British Model of Integration in an Era of Immigration: Policy Lessons for Government
Britain lacks a coherent immigrant integration program, relying instead on mainstream social policies that benefit immigrants incidentally rather than by design.
