New map shows the London boroughs with the biggest increase in people coming from abroad

A new map shows the London boroughs with the biggest increase in people coming from abroad. Every area of London had a net increase in migration. This means more people moved in from abroad than moved away.

The London area with the biggest increase was Newham, which had a net international migration figure of 14,292. In second place was Hillingdon with 10,1111 followed by Hounslow with 8,964.

In a speedily arranged press conference on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer accused the previous Tory government of running an “experiment in open borders”.

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It came as revised figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicated that net migration figures - the difference between people arriving and leaving the UK - were far higher last year than previous estimates across England and Wales

Net migration was a record 906,000 in the 12 months to June 2023, up from the previous published estimate of 740,000. The only area with more people leaving for abroad than arriving was South Holland, Lincolnshire, with a total loss of 136 people.

Accusing the Tories of reforming policies “deliberately to liberalise immigration”, the Prime Minister said: “A failure on this scale isn't just bad luck, it isn't a global trend or taking your eye off the ball, no this is a different order of failure. This happened by design not accident.”

View the statistics in your local area in MyLondon's interactive map below. For more analysis of the figures, scroll below.

However, since then the latest ONS estimate for the year to June 2024 shows net migration to the UK fell by 20%, down from 906,000 the previous year to 728,000.

Separate council area figures reveal the parts of the country with the highest net international migration in the year to June 2023 - the most recent data available at a local level.

Birmingham gained the highest number of new residents from net international migration, with 24,500 more people immigrating than emigrating, followed by Manchester (18,078), Coventry (15,538), Newham (14,292), Leicester (13,588), and Sheffield (13,141).

Net migration was far lower in rural areas, and in one part of the country, South Holland in Lincolnshire, emigration was higher than immigration, with 136 more people moving abroad than arriving.

Immigration also had a far greater impact on the population makeup of urban towns and cities than in rural areas.

That was most noticeable in Middlesbrough, where about 1,400 people emigrated, and 8,200 international migrants arrived, a difference of just under 6,800 people.

With an estimated population of about 152,000, it means about one in 23 people now living in Middlesbrough (or 4.4% of the population) are international migrants who arrived last year alone.

The picture was similar in Coventry, where 4.3% of the population arrived from overseas in 2023, and in Newham (3.9%).

Labour has promised changes to the rules on work visas and skills training to reduce the dependence on foreign workers in some parts of the economy.

Immigration has increased sharply under the points-based system for work visas put in place by the Conservatives after Brexit.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’s government also allowed students to stay in the UK for longer after graduation and expanded the visa route for workers in the healthcare sector.

Rishi Sunak then tightened rules, including restrictions on international students and care workers' ability to bring family members into the UK. Mr Sunak’s government also raised salary thresholds for work visas.

New Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said her party got its migration policy “wrong”. She has pledged to set a “strict numerical cap”, but has yet to commit to a number.