4B.7 - Migration and a more diverse UK

Selective internal migration

Moving within the UK redistributes population between places even though it does not directly change the UK’s total population.

Internal migration includes a move from Newcastle to London or from inner London to a town in the south-east. Commuting is a repeated journey rather than a change of usual residence. A flow is a movement in one direction; net migration is arrivals minus departures. Large inflows and outflows can produce a small net change while substantially changing who lives in a neighbourhood.

Migration is selective by age, resources and life-cycle stage. Universities and a large labour market can attract young adults to London. Later, a household seeking more space may move to the south-east while retaining access to London jobs. Retirees may move towards coastal or rural places. Housing costs, relatives, care needs and transport modify these tendencies; not every young person moves in and not every family moves out. The GLA’s Housing in London 2020, using ONS data, recorded a net domestic inflow of 46,050 people in their twenties in the year to mid 2019. That is an age-specific historical flow, not London’s total net migration. GLA evidence.

Selectivity changes population structure at both ends. Losing younger adults can reduce a place’s share of working-age residents and its future births. Receiving families can increase school demand; receiving older adults can increase demand for accessible housing and care. Cultural practices also travel: internal migrants may establish new social networks, cafés or community activities without crossing a national border.

For Stratford/east London, research who moves into new housing and who leaves established neighbourhoods. For Amble and its Northumberland hinterland, investigate whether younger adults leave for education/work and whether families or retirees arrive. These are hypotheses to test using age-specific flows, not facts established by a photograph of new flats or a quiet high street. Use the same age bands, dates and boundary definitions in your own local place and contrasting place.

International flows and gatekeepers

Historical connections and government decisions influence who can migrate internationally, while jobs, housing and social networks influence where migrants settle.

After the Second World War, arrivals from the Caribbean/West Indies and Indian sub-continent helped meet demand for labour in sectors such as transport, manufacturing and health services. Colonial connections, language, citizenship arrangements at particular dates and family networks shaped these flows. Later migration included family reunion, education and work. People from these regions are diverse by religion, language, class and migration history; a shared origin does not imply a single culture or experience. National Archives historical evidence.