A new report suggests that Britain’s population will surpass 73 million by 2035, with first-generation migrants making up nearly a quarter of the total.
The findings, published by the Centre for Migration Control (CMC) and shared with GB News, indicate a sharp rise in immigration, sparking debate over its impact on public services, social cohesion, and economic dependency.
According to the CMC report, the number of first-generation migrants in the UK is expected to reach 18.3 million in the next decade. The study also highlights discrepancies in past migration estimates, suggesting that official forecasts have consistently understated net migration figures.
Policymakers have since called for stricter immigration controls, citing pressures on infrastructure and integration challenges.
Immigration and Population Growth
The UK’s population has been steadily increasing, with migration playing a significant role, according to the CMC report.
The study suggests that previous estimates underestimated net migration. In 2022, government projections placed net migration at 606,000, but this was later revised to 872,000. Similarly, the 2023 estimate of 740,000 was later adjusted to 906,000.
According to Robert Bates, Research Director at the CMC, the growing population could lead to significant strain on public services. “The strain being placed on our public services by mass migration is extraordinary,” Bates told GB News.
He also raised concerns about the long-term impact on national identity, stating: “Assimilation into the British way of life becomes impossible when migration accounts for such a large proportion of the population.”
Public Services and Language Barriers
Beyond demographic changes, the CMC report highlights language barriers as a growing concern for integration and public spending. According to data from the UK Statistics Authority, 8.6% of the population—equivalent to 794,322 people—struggle to speak English well, while 1.4% (137,876 people) are unable to speak the language at all.
As a result, translation costs have risen significantly. Between 2021 and 2023, local authorities, NHS Trusts, and government departments spent over £750 million on translation services to accommodate speakers of 100 different languages, according to the UK Statistics Authority.
In response to the report’s findings, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip told GB News: “It would be completely unacceptable to have a quarter of the population as first-generation immigrants. The threat to social cohesion and the strain on public services would be far too much.”
He called for a hard binding cap on immigration. Similarly, former Immigration Minister Kevin Foster argued that Britain must break its “economic dependency on importing cheap labour.”
