UK Government Welcomes Decline in Net Migration, Calls for More Action

The British government expressed approval on Thursday regarding a significant reduction in net migration, which fell by more than two-thirds in the year leading up to June 2025. According to the Office for National Statistics, net migration dropped to a four-year low of 204,000, down from 649,000 the previous year. This decline is attributed to a decrease in the number of individuals moving to the U.K. from outside the European Union for work or study, as well as an increase in departures from the country.

Despite this positive development, officials emphasized the need for further reductions to alleviate community tensions. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood welcomed the latest figures but insisted that “the pace and scale of migration has placed immense pressure on local communities.”

The political landscape in the U.K. has seen rising voter concerns about illegal migration, particularly regarding asylum seekers making perilous crossings of the English Channel. Although the number of such crossings reached nearly 40,000 this year, it represents a small fraction of the overall immigration statistics. In the same period, long-term immigration was recorded at 898,000, down from nearly 1.3 million the year before.

Net migration peaked at a record 944,000 in March 2023, following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the implementation of new immigration policies post-Brexit, and an influx of individuals fleeing conflicts in Ukraine and political repression in Hong Kong. Tighter immigration policies from both the previous Conservative government and the current Labour administration, which took office in July 2024, have contributed to the recent declines.

The Labour government has recently announced plans to reform the asylum system to address the rising tide of political pressure. These sweeping changes aim to both reduce immigration numbers and respond to public concerns surrounding small boat crossings. In July, the government implemented modifications to migration rules, including halting overseas recruitment for care workers and raising the annual salary threshold for skilled worker visas to £41,700 (approximately $55,000), as part of a concerted effort to curb net migration.

Marley Morris from the Institute for Public Policy Research noted that while these reforms could lead to further declines in migration, the government must balance its immigration management with other priorities, such as economic growth, housing development, and the protection of public services.

New figures released by the Home Office revealed a 13% increase in the number of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels, rising to 36,273 in September from June. The government is legally obligated to provide housing for asylum seekers, and the use of hotels had previously been a marginal issue. However, recent protests against this practice have spurred the growth of the hard-right Reform UK Party.

In response to these challenges, opposition leader Keir Starmer has committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers by 2029, aiming to address public dissatisfaction and concerns regarding immigration policy. As the government navigates these complexities, the focus remains on managing migration effectively while ensuring community stability.