The latest UK migration data shows a big drop in people coming to the UK. In the year ending June 2025, 204,000 fewer people stayed in the country compared to the peak in 2023, a fall of 80%.
Net migration is the difference between people arriving and leaving the UK. The government has long been concerned that high migration impacts housing, healthcare, and local services.
74,000 Indians leave the UK
Indians topped the list of people leaving. Around 45,000 left on study visas, 22,000 on work visas, and another 7,000 on other visas. In total, 74,000 Indians left. Chinese nationals were next, with 42,000 departures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, “Indian nationals were the most common non-EU group leaving the UK.”
At the same time, Indians still top the arrivals. Around 90,000 study visas and 46,000 work visas were granted to Indians. The ONS added that Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, and Nigerian nationals are among the top five non-EU groups arriving in the UK.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that in the 12 months leading up to June, approximately 204,000 more people entered the UK than departed. This represents less than one-third of the 649,000 that were recorded the previous year. Home Office data for the year to September 2025 shows visa grants also fell to the lowest since 2022.
Why net migration dropped
Total emigration reached 693,000, the highest since 2012. Many leaving were non-EU students. About 252,000 British nationals left, while more EU and other European citizens departed than arrived.
Mary Gregory from the ONS said net migration is now at its lowest since 2021. The drop comes as fewer people choose the UK for work or study, fewer dependants arrive, and more people leave. Most non-EU emigrants are Indian and Chinese students. Nine out of ten British emigrants are of “working age.”
Net migration is at a five-year low, according to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who applauded the decline. She added, “We are introducing reforms so that everyone who comes here contributes more than they take.”
Emigration and work visas
According to Home Office data, 3.1 million visas were issued in the year ending in September, a minor decrease from 3.2 million the previous year. Work visas fell to 273,442, down 39% from the previous year and the lowest since 2020.
Skilled Worker visas have fallen. In Q3 2025, only 11,733 visas were granted, compared to over 45,000 in Q3 2023 for Health and Care Workers. General Skilled Worker visas also fell from 21,035 in Q1 2024 to 9,105 in Q3 2025 due to higher salary requirements and sponsorship costs.
Some experts warn that reducing skilled visas could hurt the UK economy. Dr Dora Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre, said the government’s focus on reducing immigration may hurt economic growth.
Despite the overall drop in net migration, irregular migration via small boats remains a problem. Asylum seekers, mostly arriving this way, rose from 81,000 to 96,000 in the year to June, making up 11% of all immigrants.
The cost of housing and supporting asylum seekers is huge, expected to exceed £15 billion ($19.8 billion) over the next decade. Starmer’s government recently announced reforms, including making lower-income workers wait longer for residency and limiting refugees’ rights to stay.