Legal migration to the UK dropped by 20% to 728,000 in the year to June 2024, according to official data released on Thursday. This decline follows stricter rules on international students bringing dependants.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that while net migration remains high compared to past levels, it is “beginning to fall.” Last year’s figure, initially estimated at 740,000, was revised to 906,000 after complete data became available, marking a 20% decrease. Similarly, net migration for December 2022 was adjusted from 685,000 to 866,000—a rise of 181,000.
ONS data also revealed an 84% drop in visas issued to students’ dependants compared to the same time last year. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford attributed the recent fall to visa restrictions introduced by the previous Conservative government, including limits on family members of students and stricter salary thresholds for private sector jobs. However, the full effect of these policies is not yet clear.
In the first half of 2024, visa grants dropped sharply. Between July and September 2023 and the same period in 2024, total visa approvals fell by 32%, excluding transit and visit visas.
Figures from Ucas showed a sharp decline in international student applications, particularly from Nigeria (down 44.6%), Bangladesh (41.2%), Sri Lanka (23.7%), India (20.4%), and Malaysia (12.7%). Overall, 392,969 sponsored study visas were issued by September 2024, 19% fewer than the previous year but still 46% higher than 2019. Two-thirds of these were for master’s programs.
ONS Director Mary Gregory highlighted that since 2021, international migration has been unusually high due to factors like the Ukraine war and post-Brexit changes. Pent-up demand for study visas after COVID-19 also played a role. However, net migration is now falling, down 20% for the 12 months to June 2024.
There’s also been a decrease in people arriving for work-related reasons in early 2024 due to policy changes. Emigration, especially among those with study visas, has contributed to the decline in net migration.
The figures reflect policies under the previous Conservative government before the general election, which saw Kemi Badenoch admit her party failed on migration. She stated, “It is right for me as the new leader to take responsibility. We got this wrong.”
The Conservatives won the 2019 election under Boris Johnson by pledging to reduce migration. However, net migration soared, reaching 488,000 in 2021. Their failure to control migration hurt their support, leading to a major loss to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in the July 2024 election.
Labour said the latest migration figures show progress in fixing the system. A Labour spokesperson noted, “On their watch, net migration quadrupled to a record high. Now, we are tackling the asylum backlog, interviewing more people monthly, and removing more undocumented migrants.”
Meanwhile, over 33,500 undocumented migrants crossed the Channel in 2024, up 18% from 2023 but lower than 2022 levels.
