Interesting new report from Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation called Take Back Control?

This report reveals the true extent of the UK government’s control over immigration and makes the case for greater political honesty about that control.

The impression given to the UK public has been of an immigration system that is out of control. Successive UK governments have failed to build confidence that their immigration policies properly serve the interests of the UK public. Legal constraints on the UK Government’s scope for action are largely blamed. But the Government can — and does — exercise far greater control over immigration than is commonly perceived. All the evidence actually points to the fact that overall the UK exercises extremely effective control over immigration.

What might the impact be if this were made clearer to the public? Some of the public may be pleasantly surprised. Some may be unpleasantly surprised. But the central point is that most would be surprised, and all would be better informed. Greater transparency could significantly address the feelings of distrust and suspicion and perhaps start to address the concern that the Government is not doing enough to control immigration.

You can read the full report here.