21,757 Polish nationals have settled in the UK and launched businesses, making them one of the most populous group of migrant entrepreneurs in the country. This is one of many ground-breaking findings of comprehensive new research by the Centre for Entrepreneurs and DueDil.
In a major publication, ‘Migrant entrepreneurs: Building our companies, creating our jobs’, the Centre for Entrepreneurs think tank and financial technology company, DueDil, have sought to explore a neglected aspect of the UK’s immigration debate: the contribution of migrant entrepreneurs to the UK economy.
The Centre and DueDil found that in total, nearing half a million migrants from 155 countries worldwide have settled in the UK and launched businesses. Their impact is so extensive, they are behind one in seven of all UK companies.
The research also found that migrants’ entrepreneurial activity is near double that of UK-born individuals. While 17.2% of migrant workers have
launched their own businesses, this compares to just 10.4% of UK-born workforce. Migrant entrepreneurs are also, on average, eight years younger than the typical UK-born entrepreneur.
YouGov polling undertaken for the report reveals that a significant proportion of the general public believe migrant entrepreneurs make a positive contribution to the UK and a majority support the government’s efforts to attract new migrant entrepreneurs. This is despite the fact the public view immigration in a generally negative light and support a reduction in net immigration.