Brexodus? Net migration falls below 300,000 - lowest for three years

Net migration has fallen to its lowest level in three years, driven by a sharp increase in the number of eastern Europeans leaving in the wake of Brexit.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show net migration, the difference between people arriving in the UK and those leaving, has dipped below 300,000 to 273,000 in the year to September - a 59,000 drop.

The figures are the first to give a picture of the impact of the EU referendum on 23 June and indicate that Brexit has been a trigger for people from eastern European countries which joined the EU in 2004 to leave.

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They show that in the year to September, 39,000 people from Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia and Slovenia moved away from the UK.

In the same time, 10,000 fewer people came to the UK from those countries.

However, they also showed a record high of 74,000 people coming into the UK from Romania and Bulgaria, perhaps in an attempt to be in the UK before any Brexit immigration deadline is imposed.

The number of people coming to live in the UK from the EU has dropped to 268,000 from a record high of 284,000.

Nicola White, head of international migration statistics at the ONS, said: "This is the first release to contain long-term international migration estimates including three months of data following the EU referendum."

She described the decrease in net migration from the EU8 countries as "statistically significant" but added that continued increases in immigration from Romania and Bulgaria meant it was too early to say what effect the referendum result has had on long-term international migration.

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The news that net migration had dipped below 300,000 for the first time since 2013 has been cautiously welcomed by the Government.

Theresa May is under pressure to come good on her promise to use Brexit to bring net migration to the "tens of thousands" target first promised by David Cameron and retained by Mrs May.

However, on Tuesday, Brexit Secretary David Davis admitted that the UK would still needs low-skilled EU migrants, who have traditionally come from the E8 countries, to fill jobs for years to come.

The figures also showed EU net migration is now greater than net migration from outside the EU - historically migration from outside the EU has been greater.

Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill said: "The fall in net migration is encouraging. But this is just one set of statistics and we must not get carried away.

"We will continue to make progress to bring down net migration to the tens of thousands.

"We will continue reforming routes to the UK from outside Europe and will use the opportunity to take control of immigration from within the EU as we begin Brexit negotiations in the coming weeks."