Nadine Osman
Britain’s migration history should be taught in schools to give young people a fuller understanding of how successive generations of migrants have shaped the country, a British Muslim-led think tank has urged.
Equi made the recommendation in Stronger Together: How Migration has Shaped Britain, a new report examining the contribution of migrants to Britain’s economy, public services, politics and culture from the early 20th century to the present.
The think tank argues that migration history should be embedded in the national curriculum as part of planned Department for Education reforms, saying this would help young people distinguish historical evidence from misinformation and understand migration beyond the focus on contemporary immigration.
The recommendation comes as migration remains a major political issue and the Government prepares to introduce its proposed “earned settlement” reforms, which would make factors including migrants’ contribution and integration relevant to how quickly they can qualify for permanent settlement.
Equi said schools have a particular role in helping young people understand the issue, noting that the voting age has been lowered to 16.
The report brings together 31 interviews with NHS workers, business owners, community organisers, politicians and cultural figures, alongside analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics, Office for Budget Responsibility, Migration Advisory Committee and Migration Observatory.
It argues that Britain’s migration story is considerably broader than the current focus on small boat crossings.
The report identifies what it calls a “migration perception gap”, saying 67 per cent of the public believe net migration is rising despite a sharp fall in recent figures.
Small boat arrivals accounted for less than two per cent of total immigration between 2018 and 2024, according to the report, while arrivals during the first seven months of 2026 were 44 per cent lower than during the same period the previous year.
Equi argues that the prominence given to small boat crossings can obscure the longer history of migration and its role in British society.
One in five UK workers and one in five NHS staff were born abroad, according to the report, while 42 per cent of doctors qualified overseas.
The report also cites estimates that migrant nurses and doctors contribute £166,000 more in tax over their lifetimes than they receive in public spending, while skilled migrants pay an average of £15,500 more in net tax each year than the average UK-born worker.
Equi recommends a national programme to document and preserve migration histories, alongside the inclusion of migration history in the school curriculum.
It also calls for a national action plan to address anti-migrant misinformation and hatred, improved recognition of overseas qualifications, support for migrant entrepreneurs and pathways into sectors facing labour shortages.
Prof Javed Khan OBE, Managing Director of Equi, said: “Migration is a British success story. Migrants have helped build the NHS, defended us in times of war, kept the country moving during a pandemic and pay in more than they ever take out.”
He said Britain needed “a fair, managed immigration system alongside an honest, evidence-led national conversation”.
Fraser Nelson, a columnist at The Times, said the report was intended to provide greater clarity about migration rather than defend the existing system.
“This report does not offer a defence of the status quo, but a call for clarity,” Nelson said.
The report also recommends a unified ONS migration data platform and funded longitudinal research into integration.
Its publication comes as the Government considers changes to the settlement system. Under its proposed earned settlement model, the standard qualifying period for permanent settlement would rise from five to 10 years, with reductions potentially available to migrants who meet specified contribution and integration criteria.
Equi said teaching migration history would allow pupils to examine the issue within the broader story of Britain’s development rather than through contemporary political debate alone.
