LONDON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Net migration to Britain is estimated to drop by nearly 50 percent in 2024, mainly driven by a sharp decline in arrivals from non-EU countries and a rise in departures of international students following the relaxation of post-pandemic travel restrictions, said the British Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.
According to provisional figures released by ONS, long-term net migration for the year ending December 2024 stood at 431,000, down from 860,000 the previous year.
ONS attributes the drop mainly to fewer people arriving on work and study-related visas from non-EU+ countries, which include all countries outside the EU, European Economic Area, and Switzerland, as well as an increase in the number of people leaving Britain, especially those who had initially entered on student visas.
The total number of long-term immigrants to Britain is estimated to fall to 948,000, marking a decrease of nearly one-third from 1.33 million in 2023. It was the first time this figure had dropped below one million since March 2022. At the same time, long-term emigration rose by around 11 percent to 517,000, reaching its highest level since mid-2017.
Work-related immigration saw the largest numerical decline among non-EU+ nationals, with the number of main applicants on work visas falling by 108,000, a 49 percent drop from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of student dependents plummeted by 86 percent (down by 105,000), and work dependents fell by 35 percent (down by 81,000). Main applicants for student visas also decreased, though more modestly, by about 17 percent.
ONS data also highlighted that Indian nationals were the most common non-EU+ nationality to emigrate from Britain in 2024. Study-related reasons were the primary driver of emigration among the top five non-EU+ nationalities, particularly Indian and Chinese nationals who had arrived for education purposes and departed after completing their studies.
Last week, the British Labour government released its Immigration White Paper, which aims to drastically reduce legal migration by tightening residency rules, raising visa thresholds, and closing certain work routes. ■