Colloquium: What Should be Done about UK Immigration?

On February 10, 2017, the McDonald Centre hosted a one-day colloquium at Christ Church, Oxford, on the ethics of immigration in the UK.  The event assembled some of the country's leading experts on the philosophical, theological, and political philosophy of immigration to discuss the difficulties involved in formulating migration policy.  Discussion focused on the recent effects of immigration (Stuart Ramsay, Prof Martin Ruhs, and Prof David Coleman); the ethical considerations relevant to immigration (Prof David Miller; Prof Tom Simpson; and Prof Zofia Stemplowska); and appropriate policy response to immigration (David Goodhart and John Denham).

Participants: 

• Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology, and Director of the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life, at the University of Oxford; author of Between Kin and Cosmopolis: an ethic of the nation (2014)
• Brad Barlow, M.Phil (Christian Ethics), Christ Church, Oxford
• David Coleman, Emeritus Professor of Demography, University of Oxford; former Special Adviser to the UK Home Secretary, and then to the Ministers of Housing and of the Environment; author of “The Death of the West: an alternative view” (2016)  
• Sir Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford; former Director of the Research Development Department of the World Bank; author of Exodus: How migration is changing our world (2013) 
• Andy Cook, Chief Executive, Centre for Social Justice, London; co-founder of TwentyTwenty
• John Denham, Professor of English Identity and Politics, University of Winchester; former Labour MP for Southampton Itchen and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; author of "Talking about Immigration isn’t Enough" (2016)
• David Goodhart, Head of Demography, Immigration, and Integration at Policy Exchange, London; former Director of Demos and founder-editor of Prospect magazine; author of The British Dream: successes and failures of post-war immigration (2013) and The Road to Somewhere (2017)
• Joshua Hordern, Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, University of Oxford; leader of the Oxford Healthcare Values Partnership; author of Political Affections: Civic Participation and Moral Theology (2013)
• David Miller, FBA, Professor of Political Theory, University of Oxford; author of Strangers in Our Midst: the political philosophy of immigration (2016)
• Sergi Pardos-Prado, Official Fellow and Tutor in Politics, Merton College
• Stuart Ramsay, Associate Fellow, McDonald Centre, University of Oxford; Chief of Staff to John Glen MP
• Martin Ruhs, Associate Professor of Political Economy, and Research Associate at the Centre on Migration, Policy, and Society, University of Oxford; author of The Price of Rights: Regulating International Labour Migrations (2013)
• David Ryall, Secretary, International Affairs, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales 
• Ben Ryan, Researcher at Theos, London; author of A Soul for the Union (2016)
• Tom Simpson, Associate Professor of Philosophy & Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford; author of “Controlling Immigration is Good for Democracy” (2016)  
• Susanna Snyder, Assistant Director, Catherine of Siena College, and Tutor in Theology, University of Roehampton; Fellow, Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture, Regent’s Park College, Oxford
• Zofia Stemplowska, Associate Professor of Political Theory, University of Oxford; co-editor, Responsibility and Distributive Justice (2011)
• Karl Sternberg, Chairman of JP Morgan Income and Growth Trust PLC; member, Governing Body, Christ Church; founding partner of Oxford Investment Partners