Madeleine Sumption

Published today! My take on why it’s so difficult for governments to make immigration policies that people trust What Is Immigration Policy For? amzn.eu/d/03bM5fDM

Is Britain’s migration debate asking the wrong question?—Migration liberals often understate the public cost of family and humanitarian migration, while sceptics often understate the human cost of restricting it. www.ft.com/content/07f8... @msumption.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

Book available here in case you don't have a copy yet! bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...

How does immigration affect public finances? Is the OBR getting it right? Which migration policies are fiscally costly vs beneficial? Much enjoyed discussing all this - and my new book, "What is immigration policy for?" with @theifs.bsky.social on their excellent IFS Zooms In podcast

Policy Exchange presents: The Home Secretary Interviews. Exclusive new in-depth interviews with 14 Home Secretaries 1990 - 2024. Read them in their own words on policing, immigration, protest and more from May, Blunkett, Straw, Howard, Braverman, Clarke... Full report ⬇️

Brilliantly comprehensive analysis of migration & crime from @benbrindle.bsky.social I learnt all sorts of things, eg that 60% of Albanians' criminal convictions were drug offences, non-citizens rarely get bail, and there's almost zero data on how many ppl liable for deportation aren't removed

If you're looking for some light summer reading, there's still time to snap up your copy! bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...

A piece on my book "What is Immigration Policy For?" in Civil Service World - featuring the curious case of the UK's troubled attempts to admit migrant investors, among other things www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/art...

A piece on my book "What is Immigration Policy For?" in Civil Service World - featuring the curious case of the UK's troubled attempts to admit migrant investors, among other things www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/art...

Can immigration policy deliver everything people want from it? Our Director Madeleine Sumption discusses the ideas behind her new book, What Is Immigration Policy For?, including why immigration policy involves difficult trade-offs. Check it out 👉 www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/art...

Get your weekend off to the right start with this lovely story which would be a predictable plot twist in fiction, but is very satisfying given it is real life www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Enjoyed this chat on Radio 4 on why small boats are down TLDR: probably some combination of policy & fewer asylum seekers entering EU. Hard to say how much results from each Next 6-8 weeks will tell us more re how durable the trend is, as arrivals highest in summer www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

As part of the viewpoint diversity debates, I was asked which views are actually missing among sociologists. My serious answer is that sociology would benefit from more practicing colleagues who hold and can voice some genuine conservative beliefs such as that inequality is not always a problem.

In 2025, just over 100,000 people claimed asylum in the UK. Our updated briefing explains who claims asylum, how these people come to the UK, whether their claims are successful, and much more. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br...

In a surprise turn of events I'm on the front cover of The Actuary magazine... Talking about my new book "What is Immigration Policy For?" Available here for anyone who missed it! bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...

Why do asylum seekers come to the UK? Our latest Q&A looks at what influences their destination choices, including grant rates, family reunion policies, and the UK's departure from Dublin after Brexit. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

“I think the book should be compulsory reading for every civil servant at the Home Office and every MP” - Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Madeleine Sumption's new book "What is Immigration Policy For?" Link to the book in the reply, for those civil servants and MPs who don't have their copy yet

Good point well made on the big tension within the asylum system, from the new @msumption.bsky.social book

How do states reconcile free movement with national control? Comparing Mercosur, ECOWAS, and the EU, @Z. Perko shows that despite different institutional contexts, states rely on similar mechanisms such as conditionalities, selective incorporation, and ambiguous compliance. doi.org/10.1093/migr...

Sage advice here from Colin Yeo

Home Office monthly stats are out today.The data show that applications for Health & Care and Skilled Worker visas continue to fall. Meanwhile, the share of dependants is rising in both routes, even after restrictions on H&C dependants. What’s driving this trend is not entirely clear. Any thoughts?💡

New from Free Movement: Book review: What is immigration policy for? By Madeleine Sumption | Colin Yeo

Our Director @msumption.bsky.social talks to the Migration Policy Institute about her new book on immigration policy and why it is so difficult for governments to manage @migrationpolicy.bsky.social

📗 New Publication: What Is Immigration Policy For? by Madeleine Sumption (Director @migobs.bsky.social) Could #ImmigrationPolicy be done better? Drawing on decades of research, @msumption.bsky.social explores what immigration policy seeks to achieve. www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/article/new-...

Hear from @msumption.bsky.social Director of @migobs.bsky.social at COMPAS, as she explores the complexities, debates, and trade-offs surrounding immigration policy, and answers the question: what is it all for? Read the blog and pre-order Madeleine's book 🔗 www.compas.ox.ac.uk/article/what...

Our director @msumption.bsky.social went on the Rest is Money to talk about her new book plus how migration affects public finances, employers, and UK workers. Catch up here open.spotify.com/episode/3dqC...

There's 25% off pre-orders today and tomorrow here www.waterstones.com/book/what-is...

Preview of my new book here, courtesy the lovely folk at @ukandeu.bsky.social ukandeu.ac.uk/what-is-immi...

What is immigration policy for? Our wonderful director, @msumption.bsky.social, answers this question in her new book. You can pre-order Madeleine’s book using the code FEB26 for 25% off. Offer ends 20 Feb. 🔗https://www.waterstones.com/campaign/february-pre-order-offer #WPreorder

"But the inevitable trade-offs immigration policy presents mean that the reality is messier and more complicated than it might initially seem." 📖 @msumption.bsky.social looks at what immigration policy is for and explains the trade-offs ahead of her forthcoming book 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/what-is-immi...

25% discount on my new book today and tomorrow, for anyone interested in an accessible overview of why immigration is difficult and unpopular

Five years on: Hong Kong migrants to the UK under the HK BN(O) visa scheme. Findings from our @ukri.org funded survey,led by Tak Wing Chan (UCL), with me, @msumption.bsky.social @benbrindle.bsky.social Wed, 2pm, at UCL Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/hong-kong-...

I think I heard @jburnmurdoch.ft.com say this increase is down to a a change in the way the numbers are calculated rather than a major shift in migration patterns.

New data provides fascinating insights into outcomes of recent refugees granted status between 2015 and 2020 Both asylum (ARR) and resettled refugees (RR) struggled in labour market, but particular the latter - likely reflecting that many were selected based on vulnerability link to data in reply

Useful new stats from Home Office on how asylum applicants travel to the UK Significant increase in applications from people on visas (mostly work, study or visit), not just small boats Also large differences by nationality: Pakistani and Bangladeshi applicants much more likely to come on visas

➤ UK will prioritise applications for transfers to UK (criteria not specified) ➤ Ppl deemed a security threat can’t be transferred in either direction 2/2

Text of the UK-France small boats treaty published. Key points: ➤ Process to take up to 3 months from arrival in UK ➤ Doesn’t apply to unaccompanied minors ➤ FR can refuse to accept specific ppl back & will give aggregated data on reasons for refusals... 1/2 www.gov.uk/government/p...

I’ve always wondered how employers & workers split the cost of UK immigration fees Here it is for Skilled Worker visas from a Home Office survey of sponsors Surprisingly little variation by industry/employer size (in underlying data tables) www.gov.uk/government/p...

unherd.com/2025/07/the-...

Nice paper on Australian regional visas, which push migrants to live outside of major metro areas Ppl on regional visas much more likely to stay in the 'regions' if they were in cities, not remote/rural areas Middle-aged migrants w kids most likely to stay put journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....