We are watching the death of open frontiers in Europe

[Mackin USA]

"And while it is possible to point to great unpopulated tracts in the UK, especially in Scotland, where people could live, population growth has a disproportionate impact in London and the South East, because that is where most end up. "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/11955742/We-are-seeing-the-last-dying-days-of-open-frontiers-in-Europe.html

[BoL]

No room in Scotland, too many hills.

[JasonD]

A touch of NIMBY there BoL? 

[BoL]

Not really. immigration is a UK issue and citizens are free to live in any part of it

Coincidentally, I think the # of non-UK born people in Scotland is way lower than say, the South East.

There isn't all that much room to build stuff up here.

[rcjordan]

>population growth has a disproportionate impact in London

The trend has been urban population growth for over a century now. Because urban areas tend to host legitimate international points of entry, I'd expect that to amplify the trend for new immigrants to settle there.  That said, once established, 2nd gen start to spread pretty far out.

My area, small-town-rural, LOST population last census.  It seems our mega-farms don't employ many since they have become mega-mechanized.

[Brad]

Urban areas also have things like public transport, hospitals, schools and stores within walking distance.  In the US, if you put a new refugee who is poor with only the clothes on their back in the suburbs or rural areas they will starve because you can't survive without a car.