Numbers fell 20 % from the file excessive to 728,000 within the yr to June 2024.
Internet migration to the UK soared to greater than 900,000 final yr, though more durable visa guidelines have began to scale back the variety of arrivals, official knowledge confirmed.
Information from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics on Thursday confirmed internet migration of 906,000 for the 12 months to June 2023, revised up from the earlier estimate of 740,000, in what the ONS described as “unprecedented ranges” since 2021.
Numbers fell 20 % from the file excessive to 728,000 for the yr to June 2024, the ONS stated, pushed by declining numbers of dependants coming with these on research visas after the foundations had been modified.
Voters within the UK – whose general inhabitants is roughly 68 million – have expressed concern that the massive variety of arrivals might worsen housing shortages and put additional pressure on public providers.
However employers in sectors resembling healthcare say they can not perform with out international staff.
Excessive ranges of authorized migration in 2016 was one of many driving forces behind the UK’s vote to go away the European Union.
Within the yr ending June 2016, the final twelve-month interval earlier than the Brexit vote, internet migration stood at 321,000.
Whereas post-Brexit visa modifications noticed a pointy drop within the variety of EU migrants to the UK, new work visa guidelines led to a surge in immigration from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, typically to fill well being and social care vacancies.
The soar to a file degree in 2023 got here below the earlier Conservative authorities, which had promised to chop migration and did introduce measures to curb college students and care staff from bringing their relations.
The present Labour authorities, elected in July, has additionally stated it needs to scale back numbers by coaching staff to fill abilities gaps. It blamed the file rises on the Conservatives.
Migration Minister Seema Malhotra stated that the federal government was dedicated to “guarantee those that abuse our immigration system face the strongest potential penalties”.
“Not will employers be capable to flout the foundations with little consequence or exploit worldwide staff for prices they had been at all times imagined to pay in the event that they select to not recruit domestically,” she added.
