Net migration to UK could rise to 300,000 by end of decade, says government adviser

"Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures last month showed there was a 69% drop, from 649,000, in the number of people immigrating minus the number of people emigrating in the year to June 2025. Just under 900,000 people immigrated to the UK between July 2024 and June 2025, down more than 400,000 on the year before. At the same time, 693,000 people emigrated from the UK, up by 43,000 on the previous year."

"Bell's comments have emerged as the committee publishes two reports on Wednesday. It also predicted that people allowed to move to the UK to live with their partners will cost the economy 5.6bn over their lifetimes About 51,000 people entered the UK in 2022-23 as partners under family visas, entitling them to live and work here. More than half were unemployed and it was projected that over the course of their lifetime each i"

Net migration to the UK fell to 204,000 but is projected to rise to about 300,000 by the end of the decade as numbers of overseas students and workers increase. Net migration peaked at a record 944,000 in the year to March 2023 because of a post-Covid surge in foreign workers, then declined sharply. ONS figures show a 69% drop in net immigration to the year to June 2025, with just under 900,000 immigrants and 693,000 emigrants. Around 51,000 partner entries occurred in 2022-23, with over half unemployed and a projected lifetime cost of 5.6bn.

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