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 11-20 of 22 total results
Pay-to-Go Schemes and Other Noncoercive Return Programs: Is Scale Possible?
Pay-to-go and other noncoercive return programs can be more humane and cost effective than removals, but weak take-up and sustainability make large-scale use difficult.
The UK's New Europeans: Progress and Challenges Five Years After Accession
Five years after EU Union enlargement in 2004, eastern European workers were well employed in the United Kingdom but often stuck in low-wage, low-skilled jobs.
Future Immigration Patterns and Policies in the United Kingdom
Even with the Great Recession, UK net migration was projected to remain at about 150,000 a year, heightening the need for trust, integration, and good governance.
United Kingdom: A Reluctant Country of Immigration
Between two-thirds and four-fifths of the British public favor less immigration, yet structural forces make sustained high net flows to the United Kingdom likely.
The Social Mobility of Immigrants and Their Children
While the children of immigrants show substantial upward mobility over their parents, they still lag peers. Stronger first-generation integration produces better outcomes for both generations.
Immigration and the Labour Market: Theory, Evidence and Policy
Immigration's average wage effects are small. Policies protecting vulnerable workers and supporting long-term growth deliver better outcomes than broad restrictions on immigration.
Immigration in the United Kingdom: The Recession and Beyond
Recession reduced new immigration to the United Kingdom and hit recently arrived migrants hardest, highlighting the need for flexible labor policy and integration.
Migration and the Economic Downturn: What to Expect in the European Union
EU migration is likely to slow during recessions, though continue as long as opportunity gaps between origin and destination countries persist.
Talent in the 21st-Century Economy
Global competition for highly skilled workers is intensifying, and countries must align immigration, education, and talent policies to stay competitive.
Hybrid Immigrant-Selection Systems: The Next Generation of Economic Migration Schemes
Points systems and employer-driven admissions models each have key flaws; hybrid systems that combine both can better serve immediate labor needs and long-term national interests.