EU net migration falls below 100,000 amid continued slump in wake of Brexit vote
2 min read
Net migration from the EU dropped by 75,000 in the year to September 2017 - falling below 100,000 for the first time in four years, official figures revealed today.
Some 90,000 more people came from the EU than left during the period, marking the lowest net figure since 2012, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Net migration from the EU and the rest of the world stood at 244,000. The figure is broadly unchanged compared with the last update and is similar to levels seen in 2014.
But it is a far cry from the Conservative promise to get overall net migration down to the tens of thousands.
Nicola White, the head of migration statistics at the ONS, said fewer EU nationals are arriving in the UK, especially those looking for work, while the number leaving has risen.
She added: “Brexit could well be a factor in people's decision to move to or from the UK, but people’s decision to migrate is complicated and can be influenced by lots of different reasons.”
And she said: “The figures also show that non-EU net migration is now larger than EU net migration, mainly due to the large decrease in EU net migration over the last year. However, migration of both non-EU and EU citizens are still adding to the UK population.”
The last time net migration from the EU was below 100,000 was in the year to March 2013. The fall continues the dramatic downward slump in EU net migration since the vote for Brexit in June 2016.
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