Net migration to UK drops 69% year on year, ONS says | Immigration and asylum

The Office for National Statistics said net migration to the UK was an estimated 204,000 in the 12 months to June 2025, the lowest annual figure since 2021, down 69% year on year.

Net migration (the difference between the number of people coming into the country on a long-term basis and the number of people leaving) has been on a downward trend for the last two years.

Net migration reached a record high of 944,000 by March 2023 but has fallen sharply since then.

Meanwhile, separate figures published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs show that the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels is increasing.

A total of 36,273 people seeking asylum were living in hotels at the end of September; This figure increased by 13% compared to June.

Ministers have vowed to end the use of hotels by the next election and Keir Starmer said he wanted asylum hotels to close “as quickly as possible”.

More details coming soon…