UK net migration halves in 2024

Long-term net migration to Britain fell by 50 percent in 2024, official data showed yesterday, as fewer people arrived on work and study visas following rule changes to cut the number of arrivals.

Net migration - an estimate of the number of people migrating to Britain minus those leaving - dropped to 431,000 from 860,000 in 2023, the Office for National Statistics said.

The data will offer some relief to Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who earlier in May promised to reduce migration significantly over the next four years, under pressure from Nigel Farage's right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK party.

Starmer became prime minister in July 2024. The Conservative Party, in government prior to Starmer's election, said the decrease reflected changes to visa rules they brought in.

The government welcomed the drop and said changes announced earlier this month would drive net migration even lower.