Education levels of immigrants rising rapidly

Almost half Britain's immigrants are highly educated, a report claimed yesterday.

Immigration: the level of educated migrants is well above the 31 per cent
average in developed countries. 

The rise in skilled newcomers follows government initiatives to concentrate on entry visas at people with aptitude in certain trades.
The level of educated migrants is well above the 31 per cent average in developed countries.
However, just 74 per cent of new arrivals with high-level skills are in jobs that reflect their qualifications, said the report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The report found that foreign-born migrants account for 11 per cent of the population, or 6.9 million. Almost a third of them (32 per cent) have arrived in the past five years, compared with an average of 22 per cent across the 34 OECD states, which include the rich EU countries and North America, which have traditionally attracted migration.
About 66 per cent of Britain's foreign-born population are employed, including 75 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women, higher than the OECD average.

But migrants are less likely to be employed than people born in Britain, and the median average income of immigrant households is 16 per cent below the native population.
There was evidence that economic disadvantage was passed on to migrants' children. Some 17 per cent of the youngsters, aged 15–34, of foreign-born migrants were not in employment, education or training, higher than the level for the native population.
The report said about 19 per cent of immigrant households in Britain were classed as being below the poverty line.

- Telegraph.co.uk