Migrations and Policy Cycle in the UK: Overview of Recent Trends

Spearhead of multiculturalism in Europe, the UK has considerably moved its position on immigration and integration policies over the 2000s’. Whereas in the 1990s’ the topic did not attract much attention, it increasingly did in the 2000s’, rushing its way onto government’s agenda and pushing policies towards more civic integration policy and less multiculturalism. This paper proposes an overview of the current situation and last policy developments. A first section brushes a picture of immigration trends and its outcomes for migrants. It also discusses the politics around the issue; how public opinion behaves, how political parties are positioned on the question. I then succinctly present the country’s monitoring strategy; or else how it gathers information on both phenomena to inform policy-making. Moving on to policy itself, I present some of the last developments brought about by the Cameron administration before turning to evidence-based policy-making in the UK; or how the UK makes sure policy tackles its purposes.