Re: What a mess.
I don't know what the fuss is about. Before lockdown people were coming and going so yes we'd have high migration but it wasn't a static situation. It would have been impossible to measure because of the volume of visitors and leavers.
That's less so now because Covid has created a bit of a gridlock everywhere. Plus there's a deadline for registration so people who have doubtless been living here for years without necessarily being registered to vote are now making their status official so that if they do leave the country they will be able to come back.
The trouble is that we are going to need lots of people to come from abroad to do jobs people are either untrained for or don't want to do.
We have had these debates in the past here and people have their opinions on this but the fact is that there is a big labour shortage in certain sectors and professions. If these aren't filled by Europeans then they will be filled by people from outside the EU. I think a great deal of Europeans who would previously come and go have left.
The Antipodean and South African 1-2 year visas were severely restricted. That scheme used to work pretty well, young people coming here and they were hardworking and had great parties.