Net migration has significantly dropped over the last year, as per the latest data. According to the Office for National Statistics, the number decreased to 204,000 in the year ending June, a sharp decline from the previous figure of 649,000. Concurrently, Home Office statistics indicate a rise in asylum claims and an increase in individuals staying in hotels.
The UK has experienced a surge in the number of individuals being deported, including over 150 small boat arrivals being detained and returned to France. This morning, key data was released, shedding light on these developments.
The Office for National Statistics’ figures released today reveal that long-term net migration plunged to 204,000 in the year to June, down from 649,000 in the previous year. This decrease is deemed a positive development for Keir Starmer.
Experts estimate that 898,000 people immigrated to the UK during that period, marking a decline of 401,000 from the preceding 12 months. Simultaneously, 693,000 individuals left the country.
Of the long-term migrants arriving in the UK, approximately 75% (around 670,000 people) were non-EU nationals. British nationals accounted for 143,000, while 85,000 were from EU countries.
The number of individuals from the EU+ area has decreased since the cessation of free movement in 2020. The top five non-EU+ nationalities arriving in the UK were Indian, Chinese, Pakistani, Nigerian, and Nepalese, primarily entering on study visas.
Among EU+ nationalities, Romanians constituted the largest group, followed by Italians, Irish, French, and Poles.
The Labour party has committed to reducing net migration. Recently, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced changes to settlement rules, including regular reviews for individuals with refugee status every 30 months.
Home Office data published today indicates a rise in asylum claims, with 111,000 people seeking asylum in the year ending September 2025 – a 13% increase from the previous year and surpassing the previous peak in 2002.
Approximately half of the asylum seekers arrived through illegal means, such as small boats, while 38% had previously entered the UK with a visa or other permission. In the year ending June 2025, the UK ranked fifth in the EU+ in terms of asylum seeker numbers, trailing behind Germany, Spain, Italy, and France.
The number of asylum seekers temporarily housed in UK hotels has escalated by 13% over three months, with 36,273 individuals awaiting asylum decisions in September.
A Home Office spokesperson vowed to close all asylum hotels, expressing frustration at high levels of illegal migration. Efforts are underway to relocate illegal migrants to military bases to ease pressure on local communities.
Enforced returns in the year to September totaled 9,400, a 22% increase from the previous year. Albanians were the most repatriated group, with 5,300 foreign national offenders returned – a 10% rise from the previous year.
The government recently struck a returns agreement with France, resulting in the detention and deportation of 153 small boat arrivals. Border Security Minister Alex Norris emphasized ongoing immigration reforms aimed at expediting the removal of illegal migrants.
During the same period, 134,000 initial asylum decisions were made, marking a 31% annual rise. Around 45% of these decisions resulted in approvals, a decrease from the previous year’s 52%.
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