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Jonathan Thomas

@jtmigratory.bsky.social
349 followers 20 following 63 posts

Senior Fellow & the Migration Researcher at the Social Market Foundation. Many Interests but only post about migration. You have to draw the line somewhere.

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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
My defence of capitalism and 'big business'. The hugo spritzes of Wetherspoons funding the NHS while combatting loneliness. gracetruth.blog/2026/09/12/t...
gracetruth.blog
True Profits:  Capitalism as a Force for Good – by Jonathan Thomas
Photo by _ Whittington on Pexels.com There was much to agree and engage with in Tommy Sharpe’s recent G+T article condemning the evils of free market capitalism. In the spirit of debate thoug…
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House of Commons Committees @hoccommittees.parliament.uk · 07/09/2026
The Home Affairs Committee, @demos-uk.bsky.social and @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social have published their findings following engagement events around the country, like this one in Leicester, exploring public perspectives on workforce migration. Read more: committees.parliament.uk/committee/83...
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
What a privilege and pleasure to be involved in this endeavour as one of the two expert speakers who took part in the Leicester workshop with the public, over a May weekend. Particularly loving the colourful picture on page 9 of the report that captures that.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
'Brexit and the UK Constitution' book is out TODAY - what 'EU referendum 10 years on' stuff isn't out today? - from @consoc.bsky.social Inc my chapter on Brexit and Immigration: beach read version - perfectly timed for the melting weather - of my earlier essay.   consoc.org.uk/publications...
consoc.org.uk
Brexit and the UK Constitution - The Constitution Society
Brexit and the UK Constitution is an edited collection surveying the impact of Brexit 10 years after the UK voted to leave the European Union
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Should the UK cap international student numbers? I debate with Jamie Arrowsmith @universities-uk.bsky.social On UCL The Bridge podcast www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuv0...
youtube.com
Ep. 2 The Bridge: Should the UK cap international student numbers?
YouTube video by UCL
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
The 7 inch version of my recent long player on what UK could learn from how Switzerland rebuilt public trust in its asylum system.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
I forgot to add, the report even has a picture in it. Just the one. Aiming to depict the different perspectives from which people view the asylum system, in one simple drawing. Obviously flawed. Hopefully effective.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Everyone else has been obsessing about Denmark. But what lessons can the UK learn from how Switzerland reformed their asylum system? Not just from what they did, but also how they did it. My report - for @smfthinktank.bsky.social - is out today: www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/u...
smf.co.uk
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
gracetruth.blog/2026/03/02/b...
gracetruth.blog
‘Bigoted woman’ or Rochdale Pioneer: Gillian Duffy changed British politics – by Jonathan Thomas
Gillian Duffy meets Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Rochdale, 2010 election campaign Everyone loves wallowing in nostalgia. And recently I was commissioned to write the story of the last 30 years of i…
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Brexit and Immigration: the Arc of the Pendulum My report out today for @consoc.bsky.social trying to make sense of the last 25 years of the UK's immigration politics and policy. And where next? consoc.org.uk/wp-content/u...
consoc.org.uk
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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
As the Home Secretary set out changes to asylum and returns policy, SMF Senior Fellow @JTMigratory.bsky.social argued the Govt's Danish-style immigration plans must meet the high expectations they have set. Read Jonathan's full reaction👇 buff.ly/cWR54us
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Excellent two minute explainer from the US President in this video interview of the benefits of attracting international students. www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
foxnews.com
Trump doubles down on plan for 600,000 Chinese student visas despite MAGA backlash
President Donald Trump defends his plan to offer 600,000 visas to Chinese students during Fox News interview, facing criticism from conservative circles.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
My published letter to The Economist in response to its recent article on asylum seeker right to work in UK. www.economist.com/letters/2025... The asylum seeker right to work 'debate' is beset with simplistic thinking on both sides. My report for @SMFthinktank : www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/u...
economist.com
Should work ­restrictions on asylum-seekers in Britain be reformed? | Oct 4th 2025 Edition
Also this week, America’s relations with Israel, the US constitution, cosy crime, the Democrats
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
When I wrote about the looming fight in the UK over Indefinite Leave to Remain - back in May for @smfthinktank.bsky.social - it was a niche topic. Now it dominates party conference speeches and radio phone-ins. Glad to have contributed to this v thoughtful and balanced piece.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
My take on yet another change of Home Secretary. And in defence of the last one.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
3/ 3. Social care visa developments: small window now – in both space and time (until July 2028) – to enter UK social care jobs through graduate route But other factors may push against. Like the huge recent depreciation of the Nigerian currency. Can intl students afford the UK? We shall see.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
2/ 1. Relative attraction of UK vs US craziness & uncertainty + Canadian and Australian numerical restrictions - UK graduate visa remains in place & no cap on numbers + 2. Lower tariff unis = increasingly struggling for domestic students; finances of many remain v dependent on intl students
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
1/ Start of the HE academic year. 'Hello international students. Don't forget to leave' may seem a strange welcome message. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... But might international student numbers into UK remain higher than many expect? Why?
bbc.co.uk
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
The Incredibles Nigel Farage's plan to tackle illegal immigration has the government on the ropes, how can it respond? For @smfthinktank.bsky.social www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
smf.co.uk
The Incredibles: Nigel Farage’s plan to tackle illegal migration has the government on the ropes, how can it respond?
Nigel Farage has outlined the details of his plan to tackle illegal immigration to the UK under a Reform government.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Level of formal education = big dividing line on many issues in Western democracies - inc immigration = graduates typically pro more open policies.  If many graduates now loading up with debt for worse outcomes than overall workforce, might the dividing line blur? kyla.substack.com/p/zero-sum-t...
kyla.substack.com
Zero-sum Thinking and the Labor Market
is college worth it? and other questions about the state of things
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Today's big UK immigration news. Apparently one of the world's toughest negotiators - the EU Commission - confirms that it is going to be really tough to negotiate with. inews.co.uk/news/politic... As I said here - that's the point. www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
inews.co.uk
EU set to demand free NHS healthcare with under-30s travel visas
Despite a broad softer Brexit agreement, the UK still has to hammer out the details with Europe
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
UK Govt = addicted to keeping scary immigration stories in the news. Yesterday Serbian gang bosses Today asylum-seeking Deliveroo drivers Tomorrow? Even though doesn't improve its popularity + people would otherwise be blissfully unaware What's wrong with bliss? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Home Office to share asylum hotel locations with Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats
The agreement is aimed at helping companies identify migrants who are working illegally in the UK.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
2 - and it keeps getting pushback from BBC Verify who argue - half fairly - the Govt is over-stating its achievement, taking credit for returning people who have left the UK without any intervention by the Govt. This makes the Govt look disingenuous. Maybe the Govt should rethink this approach?
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
1/ UK Govt = keen to get credit for doing better job than previous govt on returning people not allowed to be in the UK. Understandable. But unfortunately: 1 - this only seems to make people more worried about immigration, and not more happy with the Govt. persuasionuk.org/research/ref...
persuasionuk.org
What messages might Reform be vulnerable to?
A short message testing experiment with UK voters on the party's potential vulnerabilities
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
Latest UK Home Office annual accounts show Immigration Skills Charge receipts unsurprisingly falling back a little after last year's record, but still = nearly £1.25 billion over the last two years. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687774...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
4/ 5. The risk though = - the pilot doesn’t expand any further - = not large enough to ‘break the model’ of the 'people smugglers' - has insufficient deterrent effect for the Govt to be able to claim political success on the Channel flows. And then what ...?
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
3/ that = the swift return of all irregular Channel arrivals (save for exceptional cases) in return for taking in asylum claimants from France and/or elsewhere in the EU with a clear connection to the UK. 4. Today’s deal is not that deal, but it’s a start.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
2/ ...has increased pressure on the Govt for tangible progress on Channel returns/migrant swap deal. 3. the best deal = a deal which undermines the incentives and economics of movement across the Channel ...
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
1/ Big UK-France deal today on Channel crossings. 5 key takeaways. 1. Deal w/France on returns of Channel crossers has long been on this Govt’s wishlist; it sees unilateral approach = insufficient to deliver border security 2. Govt’s failure to ‘smash the gangs’ through law enforcement measures ...
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
conservativehome.com/2025/07/07/j...
conservativehome.com
Jonathan Thomas: Badenoch’s Lawfare Commission may yet prove a winning strategy on the ECHR | Conservative Home
Perhaps it is because politically the Conservatives now have little to lose that Badenoch can ask important questions about what the protections, impacts and trade-offs inherent in different internati...
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
My piece for @smfthinktank.bsky.social on the outbreak of ECHR fever across the UK political scene. And why the Conservatives - remember them? - may have a rare opportunity to make the others sweat.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Is the government's failure to bring back the Resident Labour Market Test actively undermining its aim to encourage more UK employers to invest in and hire domestic workers? www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p... For @smfthinktank.bsky.social
smf.co.uk
Can’t live with it, can’t live without it: the strange case of the Resident Labour Market Test
We’re now beginning to see the full consequences of the absence of the Resident Labour Market Test from the Immigration White Paper.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
That 'asylum hotels' should feature at all, let alone so prominently, across the headlines written about the Spending Review, tells you something. I thought we'd have a day off immigration 'policy' in the UK media yesterday, as people focused on the Spending Review. But obv not. I never learn.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
2 -
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
1 - As I pointed out in www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/u... - if you are in competition for international students with 3 other main countries - and you tighten your policy BUT those other 3 countries tighten their policies MORE - you may become MORE NOT LESS attractive to international students.
smf.co.uk
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Thoughtful blog from @jtmigratory.bsky.social on the government's proposals on restricting migrants' right to settle/Indefinite Leave to Remain. As he says, debate on this has just begun (1/2) www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
smf.co.uk
The big new issue in immigration policy goes all the way to the top of government
In this blog, Senior Fellow Jonathan Thomas explains why is the government is picking a big fight over earned settlement in the Immigration White Paper - and how pro-migration proponents must understa...
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Jonathan Kingham @jonkingh.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
This, from @jtmigratory.bsky.social is a real must-read blog on the proposed WP settlement changes. TLDR: it is all about the money, and retrospective effect is highly possible www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
smf.co.uk
The big new issue in immigration policy goes all the way to the top of government
In this blog, Senior Fellow Jonathan Thomas explains why is the government is picking a big fight over earned settlement in the Immigration White Paper - and how pro-migration proponents must understa...
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
MAC review of IT and Engineering sectors' use of immigration is out. TLDR: 'Remind us again why you asked us to look at this?' assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6836ea...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
My thoughts for @smfthinktank.bsky.social on a key issue raised in recent UK Govt White paper on Immigration: - why is the Govt seeking to extend the qualifying period for permanent settlement in the UK? - why is Angela Rayner so interested? - and how to respond to this?
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
With money too tight to mention, scepticism is understandable that Immigration Skills Charge proceeds will at last now actually fund skills training. But this further detail from Govt is not unwelcome + as we have said repeatedly, the 'presentation' that this is happening is itself important.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Direction of travel on YMS seems right. Initial proposal by EU on YMS = bad deal - EU admitted so themselves. UK negotiating good YMS deal can be doubly good; will: (1) be a good deal (2) show UK is rule maker with the EU, not rule taker from it. Let's see ... www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
smf.co.uk
Brexit and EU immigration: The art of the deal?
A new Youth Mobility Scheme with EU is popular with public and would meet our labour needs, Senior Fellow Jonathan Thomas explores
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
V supportive of this. This aligns with what we proposed in our @smfthinktank.bsky.social December 2022 'Routes to Resolution' report - excerpted. Times/Vibes diplomatically might be more favourable to this possibility now, although still huge challenges obvs.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
My paper for @smfthinktank.bsky.social just out on: - the politics and principle of the Immigration White Paper, - what just happened and why, - and how should business respond.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
My full report for @smfthinktank.bsky.social on the Immigration White Paper coming shortly. For now: glad to see that this Govt has at least committed to use the Immigration Skills Charge for its proper purpose. This is much more impt than most people think. So I am liking the foot of page 27.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
What might the German election tell us about UK immigration policy? My short piece for @smfthinktank.bsky.social www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
smf.co.uk
Germany’s anti-immigration path is not quite what it seems
Germany and UK both proposed five-point plans to address immigration, but their approaches differ significantly.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Lord. Is there no sector not complaining of skills shortages? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Sicily's gangsters forced to modernise but complain they can't get the staff
An investigation reveals a crime group having to adapt to modernity and displaying a nostalgia for past ambitions.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Agree 100%. Lawyers have a duty to pull all the levers they can for their client. They can't be concerned with what the political headlines are going to look like. But the political headlines around this are terrible for more reasoned consideration around safe routes.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Good point. I think this piece in effect makes the same point though. Why are more 50+s choosing hospitality in recent years? Largely because they want that sort of job and it fits with their lifestyle. They choose it precisely for its lower productivity vibe and features. Same as the under 25s.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Re hospitality sector though, young Brits gen use it as 1st experience of earning money/working life before moving on with their career elsewhere. V few stay in that sector. So I wouldn't view shrinking hospitality sector as meaningfully resulting in reallocation to other, higher prod, sectors.
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Jonathan Thomas @jtmigratory.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
On its 5th anniversary: - what impact did Brexit have on immigration to the UK, and - why might the UK need to channel a little more 'art of the deal' in its efforts to reach agreement with the EU on youth mobility. www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...
smf.co.uk
Brexit and EU immigration: The art of the deal?
What impact did Brexit have? Prior to Brexit the UK operated a two-tier immigration system for work. This provided preferential treatment to EU citizens who could come to the UK...
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