Net migration to UK hit record 906,000 in 2023 before falling to 728,000, ONS says
The Government has accused the Conservative Party of running Britain "as an experiment in open borders" after revised estimates revealed net migration to the UK reached a record high of 906,000 in 2023.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that the difference between the number of people entering and leaving the country was higher than initially thought in the 12 months leading up to June last year. The initial estimate of 740,000 was revised upwards by 166,000.
These estimates, which cover the period of the previous Conservative government before the general election, have since fallen by 20% and now stand at 728,000 for the year ending June 2024.
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A similar adjustment has been made to the provisional figure for net migration in the year ending December 2023, which was initially estimated at 685,000 but is now believed to be 866,000 – an increase of 181,000.
In addition, the cost of the UK’s asylum system has surged to £5 billion, marking the highest level of spending on record and representing an increase of more than a third in a year, according to separate Home Office data released simultaneously. These figures emerge as new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch conceded her party's failure on migration.
Downing Street responded to the statistics by stating the Government inherited a situation from the previous administration where "show that the Government inherited a situation from the previous government where they had effectively run Britain as an experiment in open borders", attributing this to "the policies and decisions taken by the last government".
The Prime Minister's official spokesperson declined to comment on whether Labour's stance would be more stringent than the Conservatives', but emphasised that the Government was "elected on a mandate to change the country and put the people’s priorities at the heart of delivery, and that means bringing down these record high levels of legal migration and tackling the root causes behind it".
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper remarked net migration is "still four times higher than it was at the beginning of the last parliament and we are clear that it needs to come down", highlighting the Government's commitment to action.
"Migration has always been an important part of UK history and our economy, but the system needs to be properly managed and controlled," she added.
Earlier on Thursday, when pressed for a specific figure on acceptable net migration levels, migration minister Seema Malhotra refrained from providing one, telling BBC Breakfast that policy should be based on "a credible and serious plan" rather than arbitrary numbers.
The ONS noted that while net migration remains high by "historic standards", it is "beginning to fall". Former home secretaries James Cleverly and Suella Braverman, both previously tipped as potential Tory leaders, have taken credit for the reduction in migration figures during their tenure at the Home Office.
However, shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticised the current figures as "far too high" and called for tighter border controls.
On Wednesday, Ms Badenoch acknowledged in a speech that politicians from all parties had failed to address migration over the years.
She said: "On behalf of the Conservative Party, it is right that I as the new leader accept responsibility, and say truthfully we got this wrong."
"I more than understand the public anger on this issue. I share it."
The updated figures are a result of the ONS's ongoing review of its net migration data, incorporating more comprehensive information and refining its estimates of migration patterns among non-EU arrivals in the UK. The analysis also takes into account a better understanding of the influx of people to the UK due to the conflict in Ukraine.
An estimated 1.2 million people arrived in the UK in the year ending June 2024, while 479,000 are thought to have left. In comparison, 1.3 million people arrived in the UK in the year ending June 2023, and 414,000 departed.
The decrease in net migration is primarily attributed to a decline in the number of dependents entering the UK on study visas from outside the EU. Mary Gregory, ONS director, noted that long-term international migration to the UK had reached unprecedented levels since 2021, citing factors such as the war in Ukraine and the post-Brexit immigration system.
She added: "While remaining high by historic standards, net migration is now beginning to fall and is provisionally down 20% in the 12 months to June 2024."