Monday, May 26, 2025 - Net migration to the United Kingdom halved in 2024, falling to 431,000 from a record 860,000 the previous year, according to official figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The drop, described by the ONS as the largest since the Covid-19 pandemic, comes amid intensified government efforts to reduce immigration and represents a significant political boost for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The ONS attributed the sharp decline to a reduction in
arrivals on work and study visas, coupled with a rise in emigration over the
same period. In its report, the agency stated, “Long-term net migration is down
by almost 50 percent,” citing both visa policy changes and new restrictions
implemented throughout 2024.
In a coordinated move to cut immigration numbers, the UK
government has raised income thresholds for family visa applications, limited
dependants on student and care worker visas, and extended the qualifying period
for settlement. The measures, announced in May, form part of Starmer’s broader
pledge to “finally take back control” of Britain’s borders.
The Labour-led administration's immigration reforms have
drawn both praise and criticism. Interior Minister Yvette Cooper described the
300,000 reduction since the July election as “important and welcome,” noting
that nearly 30,000 failed asylum seekers had been returned to their countries
of origin—a 12-month increase from the previous year.
However, the opposition has been quick to challenge Labour’s
narrative. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, in a post on X, argued that the
government had only benefitted from policies set in motion by the previous
administration, accusing Starmer of voting against “every plan to bring
[migration] down further.” Former home secretary James Cleverly echoed this
sentiment, insisting that the figures reflect the impact of visa restrictions
he introduced.
Migration remains a politically sensitive issue, especially
following local election gains by the right-wing Reform UK party, which now
leads in national polling with 29 percent support. Labour trails at 22 percent,
with the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives polling at 17 and 16 percent
respectively, according to the latest YouGov survey.
Starmer’s recent rhetoric on immigration has sparked
internal tensions within Labour, with his warning that Britain risks becoming
“an island of strangers” drawing criticism from party members concerned about
the shift in tone.
As the government looks to continue its downward trajectory
on net migration, officials maintain that further reductions are expected, with
the Home Office targeting a cut of up to 100,000 migrants annually by the end
of the current parliamentary term in 2029.
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