Immigration in numbers:
EU migration continues to fall

3 September 2018

The latest figures for 2018* from the Office of National Statistics paint a broadly similar picture of migration to 2017 – with some exceptions. We examine the main findings below.

Net migration

Overall, in the year ending March 2018, it  has been estimated at 271,000. This represents a small increase in net migration compared with the previous year and is broadly stable since falling from the pre-Brexit peak levels witnessed in 2015 and 2016.

EU net migration

The amount of EU citizens leaving the country continued to decline from the peak in the year ending June 2016 (+189,000) to +87,000 in the year ending March 2018, its lowest level since 2012.

Arriving to work

This continued to be the main reason that people migrated long-term to the UK, with 253,000 people arriving for work. Data from the passenger surveys conducted suggest 176,000 had a definite job offer in the UK. But now there are only 2.28 million EU nationals working in the UK, compared with the recognised estimated figure of three million. That’s 86,000 fewer than the previous year earlier and the largest annual fall since comparable records began in 1997.

There were nearly 168,000 work-related visas granted in the year ending June 2018: around two per cent higher than the previous year. This including more than 96,000 Tier 2 (Skilled) visas.

Coming to visit

According to passenger surveys, more than 1139 million people arrived during the year ending June 2018, including returning UK residents, an increase of 4.7 million compared to the previous year  – and a record number.

Family

141,416 family visas were granted: nine per cent more than in the previous year. This figure includes 68,726 dependants of people coming to the UK on other visas.

Settlement

There was a 40 per cent increase in people granted settlement in the UK, an increase following four consecutive year-on-year falls. The total figure was 81,359.

British citizenship

The total applications from EU nationals for British citizenship rose by 47% to 42,037. EU nationals now account for 29% of applications, compared with 11% in the year ending June 2016 (before the EU referendum).

*Please note that the figures presented here are estimates relating to either the year ending March 2018 or June 2018, unless otherwise stated.

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