London: Net migration to Britain significantly declined between June 2024 and last June, with a drop of 60 percent, bringing the figure down to 204,000, as reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in data released on Saturday. This substantial decrease highlights shifts in migration patterns over the past year.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the number of migrants who arrived for long-term stays, exceeding 12 months, for purposes such as work or study, was recorded at 897,000 during the same period. In contrast, 693,000 foreigners left the country, indicating a dynamic movement within the population.
The decline in incoming expatriates per annum exceeded 401,000, predominantly affecting individuals of non-European nationalities. A significant contributing factor to this reduction was a 70 percent decrease in the arrival of companions of individuals holding study or work visas.
Conversely, the number of people departing the United Kingdom increased by 43,000, with the majority being students from various institutes and universities. This group included 252,000 Britons, a figure that mirrors the number of European-nationality holders who also exited the country.
In a different report, the Office for National Statistics noted that the UK population reached 69.5 million by the end of September, marking an increase of 300,000 compared to the corresponding period last year.