Net migration to UK hit record 906,000 in 2023

Numbers fell 20 percent from the grounds precocious to 728,000 successful the twelvemonth to June 2024.

Net migration to the United Kingdom soared to much than 900,000 past year, though tougher visa rules person started to trim the fig of arrivals, authoritative information showed.

Data from the Office for National Statistics connected Thursday showed nett migration of 906,000 for the 12 months to June 2023, revised up from the erstwhile estimation of 740,000, successful what the ONS described arsenic “unprecedented levels” since 2021.

Numbers fell 20 percent from the grounds precocious to 728,000 for the twelvemonth to June 2024, the ONS said, driven by declining numbers of dependants coming with those connected survey visas aft the rules were changed.

Voters successful the UK – whose wide colonisation is astir 68 cardinal – person expressed interest that the ample fig of arrivals could worsen lodging shortages and enactment further strain connected nationalist services.

But employers successful sectors specified arsenic healthcare accidental they cannot relation without overseas workers.

High levels of ineligible migration successful 2016 was 1 of the driving forces down the UK’s ballot to permission the European Union.

In the twelvemonth ending June 2016, the past twelve-month play earlier the Brexit vote, nett migration stood astatine 321,000.

While post-Brexit visa changes saw a crisp driblet successful the fig of EU migrants to the UK, caller enactment visa rules led to a surge successful migration from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, often to capable wellness and societal attraction vacancies.

The leap to a grounds level successful 2023 came nether the erstwhile Conservative government, which had promised to chopped migration and did present measures to curb students and attraction workers from bringing their household members.

The existent Labour government, elected successful July, has besides said it wants to trim numbers by grooming workers to capable skills gaps. It blamed the grounds rises connected the Conservatives.

Migration Minister Seema Malhotra said that the authorities was committed to “ensure those who maltreatment our migration strategy look the strongest imaginable consequences”.

“No longer volition employers beryllium capable to flout the rules with small effect oregon exploit planetary workers for costs they were ever expected to wage if they take not to enlistee domestically,” she added.