Net migration to the UK has fallen below 200,000 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new official figures, mainly due to a sharp drop in the number of people leaving for work.Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show net migration is expected to be 171,000 in the year to December 2025. The figure measures the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the UK.The latest total is down sharply from the revised figure of 331,000 recorded a year ago and is significantly below a peak of 944,000 in 2023.The Office for National Statistics said the biggest reason for the decline was a 47% drop in the number of non-EU nationals arriving in the UK for work-related reasons.The decline was driven by the UK government’s introduction of tougher immigration rules, including tougher wage requirements for skilled worker visas, and the closure of visa routes that had previously allowed overseas carers to enter the country more easily.The data also shows that fewer international students are staying in the UK after completing their studies, further contributing to a fall in overall immigration numbers.Some 813,000 long-term migrants will arrive in the UK in 2025, a 20% drop from the previous year. Of the 627,000 non-EU arrivals, around half were for study purposes, while around a quarter were for work, according to the Office for National Statistics.The statistics agency also reported that net migration of EU nationals remained negative at minus 42,000, continuing a trend seen since mid-2022.Meanwhile, net migration of British nationals has remained broadly stable at minus 136,000, meaning more British citizens have left the UK during this period than returned.Excluding the pandemic years when global travel restrictions sharply reduced population movements, the latest figures represent one of the lowest levels of net migration recorded in the UK since 2012.
