Net migration – in other words, the total number of people coming into the UK – hit record levels last year in new figures, according to figures published today. The Office for National Statistics published its data today, the day after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of making a “mess” of the issue, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak countering by claiming the Opposition has “absolutely no ideas” on the subject.
The ONS stats cover the year ending December 2022, and put the figure at more than 606,000 – nearly twice the 336,000 annual figure recorded on the eve of the 2016 Brexit referendum.
The figure, which is up from 504,000 in the 12 months to June last year, is the highest on record – although not quite as high as had been predicted.
Previous analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies forecasts net migration could have hit between 700,000 and 997,000 in that period.
Their figures are significantly higher than the 226,000 level when the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto promised that “overall numbers will come down” following the introduction of post-Brexit border controls.
Mr Sunak has promised action to bring down net migration, telling reporters on a recent trip to Japan that he wanted to be “crystal clear” with the public that the “numbers are too high” and he wants to “bring them down”.
The latest available figures showed levels are already at a record high.
Total net migration – the difference between the number of people moving to the UK and the number leaving the country – in the 12 months to June 2022 stood at an estimated 504,000.
This was up sharply from 173,000 in the year to June 2021.
The rise was driven by a series of “unprecedented world events”, according to the ONS, including the war in Ukraine, the end of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the resettlement of Afghan refugees, the new visa route for British nationals from Hong Kong and students arriving from outside the European Union.
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On Tuesday, as part of attempts to attempts to curb net migration, the Government said overseas students will be banned from bringing dependants to the UK from January 2024.
The change will not apply to people on postgraduate research programmes.
Mr Sunak said it was the “biggest-ever single measure to tackle legal migration, removing the right for international students to bring dependants, toughening the rules on post-study work, and reviewing maintenance requirements”.
Meanwhile, Labour has unveiled immigration plans under which businesses would be stopped from easing staff shortages by hiring cheaper overseas workers.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons: “The Prime Minister stood on three Tory manifestos, each one promised to reduce immigration. Each promise broken.
“This mess on immigration reveals a Tory Party with no ambition for working people and no ambition for Britain, just the same old failed ideas – low wages and high tax.”
Mr Sunak questioned Labour’s contribution, saying: “There are absolutely no ideas … absolutely no semblance that there would be any control.
“Why? Because he believes in an open-door migration policy.”
