The government has today made clear its commitment to bring down historically high levels of net migration as new statistics released today show net migration grew almost 5 times higher in the space of 4 years to a record level of almost one million and is still 4 times higher than it was before the pandemic.
Order is being restored to a broken immigration system. Upon taking office, the Home Secretary set out a new approach to end the over-reliance on international recruitment and boost economic growth to link the UK’s immigration, labour market, and skills systems to train up our homegrown workforce. At the same time, she also confirmed that changes made to key visa routes earlier this year would remain in place to drive down levels further.
Since early July, enforced returns of foreign offenders and failed asylum seekers are at their highest level in half a decade, up nearly 30% on the same period last year, in the first 3 months of the new administration, as the government delivers on plans to ramp up the removal of those with no right to be here.
This includes a 25% increase in foreign criminals removed compared to last year – sending a clear message to criminals that if you break the law, you will not be allowed to stay. Those removed were guilty of a range of offences, including drug offences, theft, rape and murder.
Figures published today also show a collapse in asylum decisions in the first half of 2024. By the time the new government took over in July, asylum decisions were down over 70%, and asylum interviews were down over 80% compared to the start of the year. Since then, the government has taken immediate action to accelerate asylum decision-making and increase the returns of those with no right to stay.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:
In the space of 4 years, net migration rose by almost 5 times to a record high - that shows the serious damage that was done to the immigration system, the lack of proper controls in place, and the over-reliance on a big increase in overseas recruitment.
Net migration is still 4 times higher than it was at the beginning of the last Parliament and we are clear that it needs to come down. That is why we are continuing with visa controls and setting out new plans to link them to the system for training and skills here in the UK to tackle the big increase in overseas recruitment over the last few years.
Migration has always been an important part of UK history and our economy, but the system needs to be properly managed and controlled.
We are also taking action to get a grip on the broken asylum system where decisions had collapsed in the first half of this year. As a result of the action we have taken over the last few months, returns for those who have no right to be here are now at their highest level in years and the new Border Security Command is working to go after the criminal smuggler and trafficking gangs.
The fall in net migration comes as the government set out today further plans to bolster the immigration system by targeting those who abuse it. The new crackdown will see unscrupulous employers, who repeatedly flout visa rules or commit serious employment breaches, barred from hiring from overseas as their visa sponsorship licenses have been refused or revoked.
The government yesterday confirmed that all eligible non-European visitors can now apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) and will need one to travel to the UK on 8 January 2025. ETAs will enhance border security whilst making travel more efficient. Eligible Europeans can apply for an ETA from 5 March 2025 to travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.
