UK net migration nearly halves due to tighter policies
By Muvija M
Sharp Decline in UK Net Migration and Its Implications
LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - Long-term net migration to Britain nearly halved in 2025, falling to levels last seen before the post-Brexit immigration system was introduced, as tougher government measures enacted in recent years restricted arrivals.
The Office for National Statistics said on Thursday that net migration fell to 171,000 in the 12 months to the end of December from 331,000 a year earlier, extending a sharp decline from a record peak of 944,000 in 2023.
Political Debate and Public Perception
Immigration - both legal and illegal - has dominated political debate in Britain for over a decade, with successive governments imposing stricter visa rules and higher salary thresholds. The current government has pledged to go further.
Think Tank Insights
The British Future think tank said the country was "experiencing one of the sharpest falls in net migration on record", but that most people believed the opposite, according to its research.
Government Response
Interior minister Shabana Mahmood welcomed the progress from tighter policies, but said that there was still work to do.
"We will always welcome those who contribute to this country and wish to build a better life here. But we must restore order and control to our borders," she said, adding that the government's new skills-based migration would reward contribution and end reliance on "cheap overseas workers".
Economic Concerns and Labour Market Impact
But employers and economists have raised concerns about labour shortages, particularly in sectors such as care and hospitality.
Business and Legal Perspectives
"Businesses are increasingly worried that policies like Earned Settlement will deter the global talent, graduates, and investors that the UK economy desperately needs", immigration lawyer Lyudmyla Davies said of the government's plans to extend the path to settlement.
Government Counters Reform UK's Anti-Migration Agenda
GOVERNMENT COUNTERS REFORM UK'S ANTI-MIGRATION AGENDA
Return to Pre-Brexit Migration Levels
The ONS said long-term net migration was now close to its level before the new immigration system was introduced at the start of 2021, when Britain transitioned out of European Union membership, and when COVID restrictions were still in place.
Policy Changes and Their Effects
The drop reflects policy changes implemented from 2024, when the previous Conservative government banned most international students from bringing dependants and raised salary thresholds for skilled worker visas.
The current Labour government has tightened policies further as it seeks to counter Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party, which campaigns on an anti-migration platform and holds a double-digit lead in opinion polls.
Recent and Upcoming Reforms
To that end, the government last year moved to end overseas recruitment of care workers, the single biggest driver of work migration in recent years, and raised the salary threshold for skilled worker visas further.
It has since announced more sweeping reforms, including plans to speed up deportations of those arriving illegally and double the qualifying period for some workers to obtain settled status to 10 years, as well as making refugee status temporary.
(Reporting by Muvija M, editing by Andy Bruce and Gus Trompiz)
