Overview
- The Office for National Statistics released figures on Thursday showing net migration was 171,000 in the 12 months to December 2025, a 48% fall from the previous year and the lowest level since early 2021.
- ONS said the fall was driven mainly by a sharp reduction in non‑EU arrivals for work and study following visa and eligibility changes introduced from 2024 onward.
- A change in the ONS method for estimating departures raised recorded emigration, with the agency estimating 246,000 British nationals left the UK in 2025 under the new approach.
- Home Office data show use of hotels for asylum seekers fell to about 20,885 at the end of March 2026, and ministers have welcomed the wider fall in migration while pressing ahead with a skills‑based package.
- Employers and economists warn of possible labour pressure in care and hospitality, public polls show a large perception gap about migration, and the figures add to political debate over limits, settled status rules, and future labour policy.