UK Migration Falls Nearly 70%

Legal migration to the United Kingdom fell by 69 percent in the year to June, reaching 204,000 people, according to official figures released Thursday.

The decline offers a significant political boost to Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a time when his Labour government is under intensifying pressure over immigration.

The downward trend comes as the hard-right Reform UK party continues to target Labour with an aggressive focus on migration. The new data excludes irregular arrivals, such as people reaching the UK on small boats across the English Channel.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the figures reflect a drop in non-EU nationals and their dependents entering the UK for work and study, along with a rise in emigration. Temporary net migration estimates show that about 898,000 people arrived during the twelve months, while 693,000 left the country permanently. This is the lowest level recorded since 2021.

The opposition Conservatives immediately attributed the decline to visa reforms introduced under former prime minister Rishi Sunak before he left office in July 2024. They argued that changes to work, student, and dependent visa rules were now reshaping migration flows.

For Starmer, the numbers provide some relief, although they do not ease concerns surrounding irregular migration. More than 39,000 people, many fleeing conflict zones, have crossed the Channel in small boats this year. The total already exceeds the figure for the whole of 2024, although it remains below the record set in 2022 under the previous Conservative government.

Reform UK, led by Brexit figure Nigel Farage, has maintained a strong advantage over Labour in polling on immigration for most of the year. The party has sustained an uncompromising campaign on the issue.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently introduced a wide-ranging crackdown on both legal and illegal migration, a move partly fueled by Reform UK's rising support. The government is also counting on the new “one in, one out” agreement with France. Under this arrangement, for every migrant deemed ineligible for asylum and returned to France, Britain will admit another through a new safe and legal route.

The policy aims to curb small boat arrivals while preserving controlled humanitarian access for eligible applicants.