Free Movement’s pick of the past week’s media reporting on immigration and asylum.

The economic effects of cutting immigration are in the eye of the beholder, it appears. The same study by PwC was variously reported as “Loss of skilled EU workers threatens UK growth” (Financial Times) and “Migration cut will have little effect on growth” (Times). All agree that London has the most to lose: the angle pursued by Bloomberg.

Whatever about government policy, cuts may come as immigrants and potential immigrants vote with their feet: a survey revealed that “Most EU scientists and engineers want to leave because of Brexit” (the i).

The government did seek to reassure big business that intra-company transfers would continue after the UK leaves (see Guardian), an intervention quickly dubbed “free movement for bankers“.

In terms of registering those already here, the Guardian‘s Alan Travis has some juicy tidbits from the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association AGM on Saturday, including word-of-mouth reports that the Home Office is struggling to recruit enough caseworkers for the job.

The right-wing press picked up on Office for National Statistics data pointing to a record number of EU-27 workers, mostly driven by Romanian and Bulgarian nationals (Telegraph).

Those workers will now keep their free movement rights after naturalising as British citizens thanks to a Court of Justice of the European Union decision. Colin’s blog post on the Lounes judgment is liberally quoted in the Times.

EU free movement was the subject of some thoughtful comment pieces. Wolfgang Munchau (Financial Times) takes issue with the notion that free movement of people is “not strictly a requirement for a single market”, while Deborah Orr (Guardian) describes it as “the factor above all others that motivates white working-class Brexit voters” in supporting Brexit.

In asylum news, the Independent carries a report about a Duncan Lewis challenge to conditions in Brook House, which carries a quote from Bail for Immigration Detainees. A different charity, Detention Action, makes the Guardian with its report about trafficking victims in immigration detention.