The New Face Of London; Oxford & Cambridge As Boom Cities Of 21st Century

In 1986, London had an estimated 1.2m foreign-born residents, making up 17.6 per cent of its population. By last year, the number had risen to 2.2m, or 30.5 per cent of the total.

But the change goes beyond numbers. The LSE report, published in July, points to the truly novel feature of the recent wave of migration. Previous immigrants to London tended to come from a handful of countries, most with historical ties to the UK. The new generation of immigrants comes from every corner of the earth.

The immigrants of the last 20 years have moved to London for the same reasons. The difference is that, instead of coming in successive waves, they have all arrived together…The movement of people is a worldwide phenomenon and probably greater than any government can control. It is the result of the increase in global economic ties, cheaper flights and better communication links. Migration, while still requiring considerable personal tenacity, is no longer the all-or-nothing risk it was.

…Once, those leaving their countries feared they were seeing their families for the last time. Today, they can talk to, and see each other, on Skype and fly home for reunions. United Nations figures show that between 1980 and 2000 the number of people worldwide living outside their home countries almost doubled from 96m to 174m.

Cities such as London – open, cosmo­politan and economically diverse – are particular magnets. Mr Travers says the arrival of large number of migrants in London is “something to do with Britain’s economic growth, something to do with [the use of] English”.

Read More: FT.com