Net migration into UK almost halved in 2025, official figures show – politics live

The continued fall in net migration is being driven by fewer people from outside the EU arriving in the UK for work, the ONS said. An estimated 813,000 people immigrated to the UK in the year to June while 642,000 emigrated. Net migration is the difference between the number of people moving long-term to the UK and the number of people leaving the country. double quotation mark It is the lowest figure since early 2021, when the post-Brexit immigration system was introduced and Covid-19 travel restrictions were still in place. Net migration to the UK stood at an estimated 171,000 in the year to December 2025, down nearly a half (48%) from 331,000 in the previous 12 months, according to new figures from the Office for Statistics (ONS). The Press Association says Net immigration into UK fell by almost half in 2025, down to 171,000, ONS says Reform UK and Tory supporters most likely to wrongly think net immigration has been rising, report says Tories claim net immigration still 'far too high' after ONS figures show it almost halved in 2025 Morris was referring to the government’s plans to significantly increase the amount of time migrants have to wait until they can get indefinite leave to remain in the UK. The focus now should be on the parts of the system that still need fixing: tackling small boat crossings, closing remaining asylum hotels, and speeding up appeals. The priority should be to build a fair, well-managed immigration system that supports the economy and public services, not a race to push numbers ever lower. Public concern about migration has been driven by a sense that the system was not under control. The figures suggest that is changing, but there is still work to do. This should prompt a more measured debate. An excessively tough approach now runs the risk of making policy for the pressures of three years ago, rather than the reality of today. double quotation mark Today’s figures show that migration has fallen sharply, while the asylum system is beginning to function more effectively after a period of strain. The government has made notable progress since the start of the year in closing asylum hotels. The IPPR, a left-leaning thinktank, says today’s immigration figures suggest the government does not need to press ahead with plans to toughen the rules governing legal migration. The Labour government has pledged to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers by the next election. The total had climbed as high as 56,018 at the end of September 2023. double quotation mark It is the lowest figure since data was first reported in 2022, Home Office figures show. The Home Office has also published asylum figures this morning. These show that the number of asylum seekers being housed temporarily in hotels stood at 20,885 at the end of March 2026, down 35% year-on-year from 32,326. The Press Association says The next Conservative government will introduce a binding annual immigration cap at a very low level, close the loopholes that let temporary visa holders stay indefinitely and tighten and extend the conditions for ILR. We want a small number of highly skilled migrants and no low-skilled migration at all. But sadly, Labour do not have the backbone to do any of it. Labour must go further and reform indefinite leave to remain before their hard-left flank forces them to abandon it altogether. double quotation mark Brits are leaving on a massive scale and non-EU immigration remains far too high. Mass 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. The Conservatives are saying non-EU immigration remains “far too high”. This is what Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, is saying in his response to the net immigration figures. 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. 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. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has said the immigration figures shows the government is making “real progress” on border controls. In a statement, she said The sharp fall in the net immigration figures is largely a result of tougher rules for work visas and student visas, originally introduced by James Cleverly when he was home secretary in the Conservative government, and then mostly kept in place by Labour. And this chart from the report shows that it is Reform UK and Conservative party supporters most likely to think, wrongly, that net immigration has been going up. Net immigration has been falling for at least the past two years. But many people wrongly believe the opposite, according to new research from the British Future thinktank, published before today’s