Long-term migration to the UK has shifted sharply, with new data showing a steep fall in arrivals and a rise in people leaving the country.
The change marks the lowest net migration level since the pandemic and reflects how the flow of workers, students, and refugees is being reshaped at the same time as the government rolls out new immigration rules.
Recent figures from the ONS and Home Office point to fewer work and study arrivals, declining visa grants, more EU and British nationals departing, and continued pressure from small boat crossings.
Together, these developments signal a major recalibration of the UK’s migration system.
Net migration falls
Net migration dropped to 204,000 in the 12 months to June, far below the 649,000 recorded a year earlier.
The ONS said the shift was driven mainly by a drop in non-EU arrivals for work and study, along with an increase in emigration.
Arrivals from outside the EU declined, while EU and British nationals left the UK on balance.
Most departing non-EU nationals had originally entered on study-related visas.
Around 252,000 British nationals left in the period, slightly below the 257,000 recorded the year before.
More EU nationals continued to leave than arrive, extending a trend that has persisted since the Brexit referendum.
More recent Home Office data for the year to September 2025 showed a further slowdown.
A total of 3.1 million people were granted visas, down from 3.2 million the previous year.
Work visas fell to 273,442, a decline of 39% on the year and the lowest figure since 2020.
Visa rules shift
The decline in arrivals comes as the Labour government places migration reform at the centre of its agenda.
Ministers have faced steady pressure since Reform UK gained ground earlier this year.
In response, the government introduced new rules requiring lower-income workers to wait longer before gaining residency and placing time limits on refugee status.
These changes follow earlier adjustments made after the pandemic and Brexit, when the Conservative government relaxed worker visa rules to fill shortages in sectors such as adult social care.
When long-term net migration reached a peak of 944,000 in the year ending March 2023, concerns intensified over pressure on public services.
This triggered new restrictions on migrants bringing family members to the UK, a direction Labour has continued due to strong voter focus on immigration.
Small boats rise
Alongside lower levels of legal migration, irregular arrivals over the English Channel remain a significant pressure point.
The number of asylum seekers, most of whom arrive on small boats, rose from 81,000 to 96,000 in the year to June.
Although they formed only 11% of total immigrants, the increase has drawn attention because of the scale of public spending involved.
Asylum accommodation is projected to cost more than £15 billion over the next decade.
Home Office figures tracked cumulative small boat arrivals through 25 November 2025, highlighting how border pressures remain a challenge even as legal migration falls.
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