The government has opened a consultation on whether or not future applications for British citizenship should be considered under a points based system. This would essentially mean that those who are more active in their communities would be awarded points and be awarded with citizenship sooner.
A report published on 6 August 2009 showed that more and more immigrants are leaving the UK. The report found that:
- More than 3 million immigrants to the United Kingdom in the last thirty years have subsequently left – around half the total.
- The size of the exodus is increasing with more than 190,000 leaving in 2007 – a number that is likely to be exceeded in 2008.
- Short stay migration is a growing phenomenon – immigrants spending less than four years in the United Kingdom doubled between 1996 and 2007.
- 85% of migrants currently in the United Kingdom who took part in an on-line survey said they were only planning to stay short term.