This round-table, held on on 9 October, discussed the state of actual/potential play on re-estimating the size of the (UK) irregular population in the light of the data now available from the 2011 Census on the actually enumerated foreign-born population. Relevant invited experts collectively thought through what would be required to do this as properly as can be, and what problems would have to be overcome. Professor Ian Gordon chaired the session and a drinks reception followed.
Specific questions addressed were:
Whether a repeat of this exercise is now feasible (both technically and politically);
What different problems would have to be overcome, after developments in the past decade (including the Case Resolution programme); and
Who would be in a position to pursue this – or may already be doing so (?) – in what ways.
The following organisations were represented in the high-level discussion:
- COMPAS, Oxford University
- Implementation Group, Cabinet Office
- Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University
- National Audit Office
- Migration Research Unit, UCL
- LSE London
- ONS Population & Demography Division, Office for National Statistics
- Department of Economics, LSE
- Department of Geography and Environment, LSE
