Net migration to UK hit record 906,000 in 2023
Al Jazeera
Numbers fell 20 percent from the record high to 728,000 in the year to June 2024.
Net migration to the United Kingdom soared to more than 900,000 last year, although tougher visa rules have started to reduce the number of arrivals, official data showed.
Data from the Office for National Statistics on Thursday showed net migration of 906,000 for the 12 months to June 2023, revised up from the previous estimate of 740,000, in what the ONS described as “unprecedented levels” since 2021.
Numbers fell 20 percent from the record high to 728,000 for the year to June 2024, the ONS said, driven by declining numbers of dependants coming with those on study visas after the rules were changed.
Voters in the UK – whose overall population is approximately 68 million – have expressed concern that the large number of arrivals could worsen housing shortages and put further strain on public services.
But employers in sectors such as healthcare say they cannot function without foreign workers.
