"Net migration has in fact been falling since before Labour came to power last July, and yet there has been no end of demand for ever tighter controls and no end of government acquiescence. New figures published this week by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), adjusting historical data for methodological changes, show that net migration was 944,000 for the year ending March 2023 about 40,000 higher than had previously been thought. The drop since then has also been steeper."
"Net migration spiked in 2022, in part because of population flows connected to the easing of pandemic restrictions, but also because Britain welcomed large numbers of people seeking sanctuary from the Ukraine war and fleeing Chinese repression in Hong Kong. These were one-off events. Meanwhile, the systematic tightening of visa conditions has, as intended, limited the volume of arrivals. The number of people leaving the UK has grown mostly recent immigrants returning to their countries of origin, plus longer-established nationals emigrating."
ONS revisions put net migration at 944,000 for the year to March 2023 and 345,000 for the year to December 2024, with the latter revised down by 86,000. A 2022 spike reflected post-pandemic flows and large numbers seeking sanctuary from the Ukraine war and Hong Kong, which were largely one-off. Systematic tightening of visa conditions has reduced arrivals while departures have increased as recent immigrants return and some longer-established nationals emigrate. Forecasts by UK in a Changing Europe project net migration falling to between 70,000 and 170,000 in 2026, a level that remains politically contested.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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