Net migration to the UK falls by 20% – as previous year’s figure revised to almost a million

Net migration to the UK has fallen by 20% from a record 906,000 the year before, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The latest net migration figures – the difference between immigration and emigration – stand at an estimated 728,000 in the year to June 2024.

ONS director Mary Gregory said the fall has been “driven by declining numbers of dependants on study visas coming from outside the EU”.

There was a 19% decrease in student visas in the year to September 2024 – when the university year begins – compared with the previous year.

There was a 33% decrease in worker visas in that time.

The previous Conservative government changed the rules so since January, most students have not been allowed to bring dependents with them, with exceptions only for those studying at PhD level.

In March, further changes were introduced by the Tory government barring care workers and senior care workers from sponsoring dependents on the health and care worker visa.

Rishi Sunak’s Tory administration also raised the minimum salary requirement for the skilled worker visa from £26,200 to £38,700 in April, making the visa more difficult to obtain.

Home Office figures also released today show government spending on asylum in the UK reached £5.38 billion in the year to April 2024 – up 36% from £3.95bn from the previous year.

The latest net migration figures, from July 2023 to June 2024, cover the Conservatives’ last year in office, with Labour winning the election at the beginning of July.

Former Conservative home secretary James Cleverly said: “Today’s migration figures are the first to show the impact of the changes that I brought in as home secretary.

“Numbers are still too high, but we see the first significant downward trend in years. Changes that Labour opposed and haven’t fully implemented.”

Suella Braverman, the Tory home secretary before Mr Cleverly, also claimed credit for the drop in net migration, saying it “is a result of the changes i fought for and introduced in May 2023”.

“That’s when we started to turn the tide,” she said.

“But 1.2 million arrivals a year is still too high. This is unsustainable and why we need radical change.”

Figures for net migration in previous years were revised upwards by the ONS, with 2023 increasing from 740,000 to 906,000 – making it the new highest, instead of 2022.

The total for 2022 was increased from 607,000 to 754,000, while 2021 changed from 221,000 to 254,000.

The latest figures show a small increase in emigration, but the fall was mostly attributed to a decrease in immigration.

Those entering the UK as dependents of people on both work and study visas dropped by 41%.

Main applicants for work visas decreased by 7%, while main applicants for study visas dropped by 9%.

The ONS said the fall in net migration was also driven by a rise in long-term emigration – people leaving the UK – particularly of those who came to the country on study visas.

“This is likely a consequence of the large number of students who came to the UK post-pandemic now reaching the end of their courses,” the ONS said.

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