Slump could make 1 mn migrants leave UK

With India and China fast emerging as growing economies attracting talent, Britain is in danger of losing out an estimated one million highly skilled migrants to these countries in the next five years, according to a study.

At least 200,000 foreign nationals will depart every year as job opportunities become more scarce, The Institute for Public Policy Research said in a report, on Friday.

The retention of highly skilled migrants is likely to become at least as important as attracting them in the first place as the traditional countries of immigration are joined by fast growing economies like China and India," the report said.

"Those most likely to leave have a high level of skills, good education and low barriers to movement and aspire to a lifestyle as global citizens," the report said.

"International competition for highly skilled migrants is intensifying and it makes no sense for the UK to succeed in attracting such migrants only to lose them quickly because of re-migration," the report said.

While the number of foreigners leaving will still be smaller than the number arriving, the rise in "re-migration" could slow the growth in the British population, the study said.