Net migration to the UK has fallen by more than two-thirds to 204,000 in a single year, the lowest annual figure since 2021, according to the latest official statistics.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show there was a 69% drop from 649,000 in the number of people immigrating minus the number of people emigrating, in the year to June 2025.
Net migration peaked at a record 944,000 in the year to March 2023 as part of the “Boriswave” of foreign workers but has fallen sharply since then.
Just under 900,000 people immigrated to the UK between July 2024 and June 2025, down more than 400,000 people on the year before.
At the same time, 693,000 people emigrated from the UK, up by 43,000 on the previous year.
Separate figures published by the Home Office show the number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels has risen.
A total of 36,273 people claiming asylum were living in hotels at the end of September, up 13% on the figure in June.
Immigration policies have become key election battlegrounds amid a surge in support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
There were 51,000 arrivals detected as coming via illegal routes, including small boats and other clandestine routes such as lorries and vans, in the year ending September 2025.
Of those, small boat arrivals accounted for 46,000 (89%). The top nationalities arriving by small boat were Eritrean (17%), Afghan (13%), Iranian (11%), Sudanese (10%) and Somalian (8%).
The Home Office data shows that 111,000 people claimed asylum in the year ending September 2025, just below the figure of 111,084 for the year ending June 2025.
Both Labour and the Tories are expected to try to claim credit for the drop in overall migration.
Policies set in train by the Tories under Rishi Sunak’s government cut the number of work and student visas. Their policies have been further pursued by Starmer’s government.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, said: “Net migration is at its lowest level in half a decade and has fallen by more than two-thirds under this government.
“But we are going further because the pace and scale of migration has placed immense pressure on local communities.
“Last week, I announced reforms to our migration system to ensure that those who come here must contribute and put in more than they take out.”
#Net #migration #drops #year #year #ONS #figures #show #Immigration #asylum
