tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092552783161885712.post5678029762056989133..comments2024-03-13T15:35:30.839+00:00Comments on Tabloid Watch: Deeply flawed poll from Migrationwatch is not questioned by the papersMacGuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894506410560858668noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092552783161885712.post-87136226601401312002009-05-21T16:27:12.672+01:002009-05-21T16:27:12.672+01:00Ah - I found them this morning. The link is here:...Ah - I found them this morning. The link is here:<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=1503" REL="nofollow">Total International Migration (TIM) tables: 1991-latest</A>Average net <EM>foreign</EM> migration is around 306,000 - but average net migration is around 210,000 for the 5 years until 2007. MigrationWatch have given the impression in their questions that net migration is about 90,000 higher than it actually is.<br /><br />They'll switch between different uses of figures all the time. Whether it's deliberate or incompetence I don't know.<br /><br />Of course, this shows that the 'Migration' bit in MigrationWatch isn't quite right. Maybe they should rename themselves ForeignerWatch, since that's what they're really interested in.Five Chinese Crackershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982651352498540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092552783161885712.post-33395396202897671742009-05-21T14:56:12.742+01:002009-05-21T14:56:12.742+01:00Thanks 5CC - I appreciate the correction on that, ...Thanks 5CC - I appreciate the correction on that, and bow to your superior knowledge of unpicking Migrationwatch's nonsense figures!<br /><br />The explanation in the YouGov question ('that is, there are 300,000 more immigrants each year arriving in Britain than emigrants leaving Britain') doesn't make clear that distinction, so I have to admit I missed it too. And I think it's fair to say that is what was intended - none of the multiple choice answers mention net 'foreign' immigration.<br /><br />It adds another layer of deception to the whole exercise. Having just done a quick Google search, it seems that nobody else uses 'net foreign immigration' apart from Migrationwatch. <br /><br />And they only use it sometimes - if you look at the 'Six key facts' on the Migrationwatch homepage, number 1 is: 'Net immigration has quadrupled since 1997 to 237,000 a year'.<br /><br />If you (anyone?) come across figures 'proving' 300,000 it would be good to see them.MacGuffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01068286622218492768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2092552783161885712.post-65859576050867993852009-05-21T12:16:19.980+01:002009-05-21T12:16:19.980+01:00Excellent post, MacGuffin.
One small thing - Migr...Excellent post, MacGuffin.<br /><br />One small thing - MigrationWatch do specify that 'foreign' migration is 300,000 a year - meaning that net migration of people born outside the UK is at that level. It then misrepresents this in the explanation of what that means by leaving out the caveat that this is the number of foreign people only.<br /><br />Of course, the papers leave out the 'foreign' reference altogether.<br /><br />(Haven't got the figures to hand to see if 300,000 for the last five years is right - but there you go.)Five Chinese Crackershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982651352498540noreply@blogger.com