In United Kingdom Net Migration Falls To 1,71,000; Pm Said His Government’s Deliverance.

London; May 2026: United Kingdom has recorded a slump in Net migration, as the figures has fallen down to 171,000, which is the lowest since early 2021. The new data is being provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and covers the 12 months: From January 2025 to December 2025.

Today’s data shows that 813,000 people immigrated to the UK in 2025, while 642,000 left. It means that immigration is also at the lowest it’s been since March 2021, when 629,000 people came to the UK. Emigration is also down to its lowest during this period (January to December, 2025) just over a year, with 650,000 people recorded leaving the UK in June 2024.

It shows net migration has fallen from 331,000 in the previous 12 months to 171,000 last year, demonstrating a fall of 48.3%. It’s the lowest level of net migration recorded in nearly 05 years – since early 2021, when net migration was 132,000. This is when the post-Brexit migration system was introduced and COVID travel restrictions were still in place.

Net migration is the difference between the number of people immigrating (coming to a country) to the UK compared with the number emigrating (leaving a country).

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said: “Net migration has fallen by 82% in just 03 years. “We will always welcome those who contribute to this country and wish to build a better life here. But we must restore order and control to our borders. As these statistics show, real progress has been made, but there is still work to do. That is why I am introducing a skills-based migration system that rewards contribution and ends Britain’s reliance on cheap overseas workers”.

Net migration figures peaked at a record 944,000 in the year April 2022 to March 2023, but have dropped steadily since.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer while reacting to the figures said: “Net migration has fallen 82%. I promised to restore control to our borders. My government is delivering. I know there’s more to do, we’re introducing a skills-based migration system that rewards contribution and ends our reliance on cheap overseas workers”.

Former UK Conservative Party (TORY) Home Secretary James Cleverly has said Labour will “try and take credit for this reduction”, but said it is “mainly due to the visa changes that I introduced as home secretary in December 2023 and which Labour opposed at the time”.

The government is currently consulting on proposals to overhaul the legal immigration system, including doubling the time it takes for most people to reach the immigration status of indefinite leave to remain, including for those already living here. But the reforms have proved controversial within the Parliamentary Labour Party with some viewing them as being too harsh, while the Tories and Reform UK have called on the government to go much further.

Starmer is seeking to boost his premiership after he faced rising threats to his leadership. It comes following Reform UK trouncing Labour and the Conservatives in the local and devolved elections earlier this month.

James Cleverly has further stated, figures show Britons ‘driven away by Labour’s high taxes’. The former Home Secretary has responded to this morning’s immigration figures, saying they show “British citizens are leaving the UK on a massive scale”.

Former Cabinet Minister Chris Philp has said: “Today’s net migration figures contain net emigration of British citizens of 136k and net immigration of 350k from outside Europe (and the 42k balance being net emigration to the EU). British citizens are leaving the UK on a massive scale, driven away by Labour’s high taxes”.

British emigration is actually down compared to the previous 12 months to December 2024 (06 months of which the Tories were in charge). 246,000 Britons left the UK in the year to December 2025, a fall of 4.2% compared to the previous 12 months. Figures from the ONS also show that British emigration is down from 2021 levels under the Tories, but that fewer Britons are returning (immigrating) back to the UK.

Turning to immigration, Philp continued: “Non-EU immigration, mainly from low-income counties, remains far too high. Mass low-skill immigration undermines our society, and low-wage immigration is bad for the economy. British families feel it in lower wages, longer waiting lists for public services and housing shortages”.

Net migration has fallen to its lowest level since September 2012, if the impact of the pandemic is excluded. New data from the Office for National Statistics show net migration fell to 171,000 in the year to December 2025. This is the lowest it has been since 2012, when net migration was 157,000, excluding that of March 2020, which was impacted by the pandemic and the post-Brexit emigration wave. Of course, the COVID pandemic did happen, which means that net migration has fallen to its lowest level since early 2021 in real terms.

Team Maverick.