History and Structure
Unlike many think tanks, the organisation is not registered as a charity but operates instead as a company limited by guarantee.
The organisation was founded in December 2001 by Andrew Fleming Green, a retired diplomat who served as British Ambassador in Syria and Saudi Arabia. However, Companies House documents indicate that the company was not formally incorporated until 15 August 2002. The company's objectives as described in its articles of association are "to conduct research into migration issues and to educate the public in the relevant facts". Deborah Orr claims in an article in The Independent that the organisation came into being when, "after reading some of his anti-immigration letters in The Times", Sir Andrew approached David Coleman, Professor of Demography at Oxford University, and they subsequently set up MigrationWatch. Coleman is now a consultant to MigrationWatch "but does not speak on its behalf" and Companies House records indicate that Coleman has no formal involvement in the company's legal entity.
Andrew Green is chairman of the organisation's advisory council, alongside Coleman, Baroness Caroline Cox, James Duguid, George Kronfli, Harry Mitchell, Alp Mehmet, Patricia Skitmore, Hazhir Teimourian, Dirk Van Heck and Roger Williams.
Read more about this topic: Migration Watch UK
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