Portrait of Tony Blair
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Tony Blair on Immigration

Managed Migration Advocate (strong) Position evolved

TL;DR

Tony Blair championed managed economic migration while also introducing increasingly restrictive policies concerning asylum and border control.

Key Points

  • His government passed four migration-related Parliamentary Acts between 1998 and 2007, more than any other social policy area.

  • The UK chose not to apply transitional labour market controls to workers from the ten EU member states that joined in 2004.

  • He strongly associated himself with integration initiatives, proposing a measure that would tie the funding of community organizations to integration in 2006.

Summary

Tony Blair's tenure as Prime Minister, from 1997 to 2007, fundamentally reshaped Britain's immigration system, prioritizing the management of migration for macroeconomic gain. His government enacted numerous laws, making migration a top domestic priority, supporting economic migration through new schemes like the Highly Skilled Migrant Program, and attracting international students. This approach effectively ended the post-1962 policy of limitation by placing economic benefit at the heart of reforms. However, this pro-economic stance was coupled with a strong focus on security and control, evidenced by legislative efforts to tighten asylum procedures and increase border security measures, often in response to public concern about asylum seekers abusing the system.

His administration's most consequential decision regarding EU migration was not applying transitional controls when Eastern European states joined the EU in 2004, leading to a marked increase in inward migration, which later became a source of political contention. While Blair's period saw legislative innovation and an emphasis on integration, his policies also centralized control and moved away from a strictly multicultural model toward a more 'community' focused approach to integration. Although ministers consistently refused to cap legal immigration numbers, the government aggressively pursued measures against illegal immigration, including increased enforcement and institutional changes like the creation of the Border and Immigration Agency.

Key Quotes

I said at the manifesto launch that I would deal with the issue of asylum and immigration during this campaign.

“We've swapped out younger, usually single people coming in from Europe to work in hospitality, technology and other sectors for much increased immigration from Asia and Africa,”

“the movement of people and labour into and out of the UK is, and always has been, absolutely essential to our economy.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Tony Blair's government pursued a strategy of 'managed migration,' prioritizing the attraction of skilled migrants and international students to benefit the economy. However, this was balanced with a commitment to security, leading to increasingly restrictive measures against asylum seekers and greater border enforcement. He fundamentally reshaped the system to favor economic migration.

The launch of the Points-Based System for non-EEA migration occurred in 2008, which was under Gordon Brown's premiership. Tony Blair's government, however, set the political direction and introduced the foundational concepts, such as the proposed five-tier economic migration system in 2006.

Recently, Tony Blair has admitted that the influx of migrants during his premiership placed a 'strain' on communities, implying a recognition of the unacknowledged negative consequences. This post-premiership reflection contrasts with his earlier stance that immigration was essential and only needed management.

Sources8

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.