In the context of renewed debates about diversity and cohesion, this book interrogates contemporary claims about race and migration. It demonstrates that many of the claims are myths, presenting evidence in support of and in opposition to them in an accessible yet academically rigorous manner. The book combines an easy-to-read overview of the subject with innovative new research. It tackles head-on questions about levels of immigration, the contribution of immigrants, minority self-segregation, ghettoisation and the future diversity of the population. The authors argue that the myths of race and migration are the real threat to an integrated society and recommend that focus should return to problems of inequality and prejudice.

Nissa Finney is a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester. With a background in Geography her research has focused on migration of ethnic groups within Britain, demography of local ethnic group population change, refugee settlement policy and press portrayals of race and migration.

Ludi Simpson is Professor of Population Studies at the University of Manchester. He works with population, census and survey statistics, aiming to extend their use by communities and governments. He has worked closely with local authorities and government departments, and statistics associations in Britain and abroad.

Introduction; Making sense of race statistics; Challenging the myth that "Britain takes too many immigrants"; Challenging the myth that "so many minorities can't be integrated"; Challenging the myth that "minorities don't want to integrate"; Challenging the myth that "Britain is becoming a country of ghettos"; Challenging the myth of "minority white cities"; Conclusion; Myths and counterarguments: a quick reference summary.