Long-term net migration to the UK dropped to 204,000 in the year to June, falling by roughly two-thirds compared with the previous year, according to official figures released on Thursday.
The sharp decline extends a downward trend attributed to increasingly stringent government policies.
Immigration — both legal and irregular — has been at the forefront of British politics for more than a decade. Successive governments have imposed tougher visa requirements, higher salary thresholds, and stricter enforcement measures in an effort to reduce arrivals.
The Labour government has sought to harden its stance further as it faces pressure from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, a populist party campaigning heavily on anti-migration policies and currently holding a double-digit lead in national polls.
Revised data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week showed that net migration reached a previously underestimated peak of 944,000 in the year to March 2023. Updated figures also confirmed that numbers dropped to 345,000 in 2024, before falling again this year.
Despite the downward trajectory, immigration remains the public’s top concern. The British Future think tank said anxiety is being fuelled largely by small-boat crossings from northern France, which continue to dominate media coverage.
“Those who most want lower immigration are the least aware of the falling numbers and the most likely to mistakenly believe net migration has increased,” the organisation said.
Earlier this month, ministers unveiled a new round of sweeping reforms. Measures include making refugee status temporary, accelerating deportations of people who arrive illegally, and doubling to ten years the length of time some foreign workers must remain in the UK before qualifying for settled status.
Additionally, the government’s decision to abolish the care worker visa route — previously the biggest contributor to work-related migration — came into force in July and is expected to reduce arrivals further in the coming years. Photo by ukhomeoffice, Wikimedia commons.