UK Net Migration Drops to Lowest Level Since 2012
According to the latest data from the UK government, net migration has dropped to its lowest level since 2012, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) defines a long-term migrant as someone who moves to another country and stays for at least a year.
The ONS publishes net migration figures as a rounded number, which does not exactly equal immigration minus emigration. Visas granted in 2024 include work visas, study visas, family visas, and other categories, but do not include visitor or transit visas. The Home Office also reports on asylum applications and accommodation, including people waiting for initial decisions and appeals against refused applications.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) collects data on deaths and disappearances of migrants crossing from mainland Europe to the UK, which is considered an undercount due to lack of official statistics. The IOM reports that these figures may include people who died in the Channel or while traveling to a crossing point.