Migration
UK net migration was 171,000 in the year ending December 2025, according to the ONS (Long-term international migration, provisional: year ending December 2025, published 21 May 2026). UK migration data — long-run series, post-1997 trends, illegal-migration tracking and fiscal-impact research.
UK net migration by year, 1990–2025
Immigration minus emigration, long-term migrants. Source: ONS Long-Term International Migration.
| Year | Net migration | Immigration | Emigration | Prime minister | Source note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 171,000 | 813,000 | 642,000 | Keir Starmer | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2025 provisional (May 2026 release) |
| 2024 | 331,000 | 1,012,000 | 680,000 | Rishi Sunak | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2024 revised (May 2026 release) |
| 2023 | 848,000 | 1,441,000 | 593,000 | Rishi Sunak | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2023 (May 2026 release) |
| 2022 | 891,000 | 1,398,000 | 508,000 | Boris Johnson | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2022 (May 2026 release) |
| 2021 | 467,000 | 947,000 | 480,000 | Boris Johnson | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2021 (May 2026 release) |
| 2020 | 93,000 | 662,000 | 569,000 | Boris Johnson | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2020 (May 2026 release) |
| 2019 | 184,000 | 788,000 | 605,000 | Theresa May | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2019 (May 2026 release) |
| 2018 | 276,000 | 825,000 | 549,000 | Theresa May | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2018 (May 2026 release) |
| 2017 | 208,000 | 752,000 | 544,000 | Theresa May | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2017 (May 2026 release) |
| 2016 | 249,000 | 772,000 | 523,000 | David Cameron | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2016 (May 2026 release) |
| 2015 | 303,000 | 797,000 | 494,000 | David Cameron | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2015 (May 2026 release) |
| 2014 | 284,000 | 778,000 | 494,000 | David Cameron | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2014 (May 2026 release) |
| 2013 | 244,000 | 713,000 | 469,000 | David Cameron | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2013 (May 2026 release) |
| 2012 | 195,000 | 643,000 | 448,000 | David Cameron | ONS LTIM YE Dec 2012 (May 2026 release) |
| 2011 | 217,000 | 505,000 | 288,000 | David Cameron | ONS LTIM |
| 2010 | 196,000 | 488,000 | 292,000 | David Cameron | ONS LTIM |
| 2009 | 179,000 | 470,000 | 291,000 | Gordon Brown | ONS LTIM |
| 2008 | 229,000 | 505,000 | 276,000 | Gordon Brown | ONS LTIM |
| 2007 | 210,000 | 527,000 | 317,000 | Gordon Brown | ONS LTIM |
| 2006 | 230,000 | 529,000 | 299,000 | Tony Blair | ONS LTIM |
| 2005 | 213,000 | 496,000 | 283,000 | Tony Blair | ONS LTIM |
| 2004 | 203,000 | 471,000 | 268,000 | Tony Blair | ONS LTIM |
| 2003 | 158,000 | 398,000 | 240,000 | Tony Blair | ONS LTIM |
| 2002 | 142,000 | 385,000 | 243,000 | Tony Blair | ONS LTIM |
| 2001 | 123,000 | 373,000 | 250,000 | Tony Blair | ONS LTIM |
| 2000 | 126,000 | 379,000 | 253,000 | Tony Blair | ONS IPS |
| 1999 | 118,000 | 350,000 | 232,000 | Tony Blair | ONS IPS |
| 1998 | 99,000 | 331,000 | 232,000 | Tony Blair | ONS IPS |
| 1997 | 60,000 | 285,000 | 225,000 | Tony Blair | ONS IPS |
| 1996 | 56,000 | 272,000 | 216,000 | John Major | ONS IPS |
| 1995 | 53,000 | 245,000 | 192,000 | John Major | ONS IPS |
| 1994 | 63,000 | 253,000 | 190,000 | John Major | ONS IPS |
| 1993 | -1,000 | 213,000 | 214,000 | John Major | ONS IPS |
| 1992 | -11,000 | 216,000 | 227,000 | John Major | ONS IPS |
| 1991 | 28,000 | 267,000 | 239,000 | John Major | ONS IPS |
| 1990 | 36,000 | 267,000 | 231,000 | Margaret Thatcher | ONS IPS |
From 2012, each row is ONS's current estimate for the calendar year (Long-term international migration, provisional: year ending December 2025). Earlier years come from ONS's older methods, so the series has a break between 2011 and 2012.
UK net migration by prime minister, 1990–2025
Total net migration in the years credited to each prime minister. Sources: ONS Long-Term International Migration; GOV.UK, Past Prime Ministers.
| Period | Prime minister | Total net migration |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Keir Starmer | 171,000 |
| 2023–2024 | Rishi Sunak | 1,179,000 |
| No year credited | Liz Truss | — |
| 2020–2022 | Boris Johnson | 1,451,000 |
| 2017–2019 | Theresa May | 668,000 |
| 2010–2016 | David Cameron | 1,688,000 |
| 2007–2009 | Gordon Brown | 618,000 |
| 1997–2006 | Tony Blair | 1,472,000 |
| 1991–1996 | John Major | 188,000 |
| 1990 | Margaret Thatcher | 36,000 |
How years are credited: each year in the table above goes to the prime minister who was in office for the most days of that calendar year, so a year with a change of prime minister counts wholly for one of them. A prime minister who did not hold office for the most days of any year has no year credited. Totals cover only 1990–2025, so a prime minister in office before 1990 or after 2025 is counted only for the years shown.
Section 1
Post-War Britain
UK long-term migration, 1950–2024
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UK Immigration & Emigration, 1950–2025
Sources: pre-1964 historical estimates; ONS IPS (1964–2000); ONS LTIM (2001–2011); ONS LTIM, current method, year ending December (2012–2025, May 2026 release; 2025 provisional). Methodology changed across these stages and figures may be revised.
Immigration policy
UK immigration policy timeline, 1948–2024
- 1948British Nationality Act
All Commonwealth citizens granted the right to live and work in the UK without immigration controls.
- 1962Commonwealth Immigrants Act
First statutory controls on Commonwealth migration; introduces employment vouchers.
- 1968Commonwealth Immigrants Act (second)
Restricts the right of UK passport holders without "substantial connection" to Britain.
- 1971Immigration Act
Creates the patrial / non-patrial distinction; non-patrials need work permits. Free Commonwealth movement effectively ends.
- 1973UK joins the EEC
Introduces free movement for citizens of the European Economic Community.
- 1981British Nationality Act
Replaces CUKC status with British, British Dependent Territories and British Overseas Citizenship.
- 1997Labour elected — managed-migration era begins
Work-permit routes expand; migration framed as a tool for labour-market flexibility.
- 2004EU A8 enlargement
Eight Central and Eastern European states join the EU. The UK opts not to apply transitional controls; large-scale Polish migration follows.
- 2008Points-based system introduced
Five-tier work-permit regime replaces the earlier non-EU system.
- 2016Brexit referendum
Leave wins 52–48; immigration cited as the decisive issue in post-vote analysis.
- 2020End of free movement
Transition period ends 31 December; EU and non-EU workers enter the same points-based system.
- 2021New points-based system goes live
Salary threshold £25,600 (later raised); Health and Care Worker visa route opens; Hong Kong BN(O) route launched.
- 2024Visa restrictions tightened
Salary thresholds raised, dependants curtailed for student and care-worker visas; net migration begins to fall.
Section 2
Britain Post New Labour
UK long-term migration, 1997–2024
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UK Immigration & Emigration, 1997–2025
UK Net Migration, 1997–2025
Source: ONS Long-Term International Migration estimates. From 2012, figures are ONS's current estimates for each calendar year and may be revised; 2025 is provisional.
Section 3
Sponsor Licences, Compliance and Enforcement
Enforcement against employers who sponsor overseas workers has risen sharply. The Home Office reported that between July 2024 and June 2025, 1,948 licences allowing companies to bring in migrant workers were revoked — more than double the 937 revoked in the previous 12 months, and up from 261 and 247 in the same periods in 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 respectively.
The Home Office attributes the rise to improved data and intelligence sharing across government and law enforcement, replacing an approach that was previously heavily reliant on physical compliance visits. It names adult social care, hospitality, retail and construction as among the sectors with the highest levels of abuse.
The consequences of revocation fall on both employer and worker. Where a sponsor loses its licence, the worker’s certificate of sponsorship is cancelled and their visa is limited to 60 days, or however long they have left on the visa if that is less than 60 days. There is no right of appeal against revocation, and the employer cannot apply for a new licence until at least 12 months have passed from the date of notification — 24 months if the licence has been revoked on more than one occasion.
Sponsor licence holders carry ongoing duties: keeping specified records, reporting relevant changes to the Home Office within set deadlines, monitoring sponsored workers’ visa and right-to-work expiry dates, and producing that evidence on request during a compliance visit.
Sources
- Home Office, Record numbers of visa sponsor licences revoked for rule breaking (published 11 September 2025; covers July 2024 to June 2025, with comparisons to the same periods in 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24) — revocation counts, sectors, and the stated cause of the rise.
- Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors, part 3 — sponsor duties and compliance — record-keeping and reporting duties (C1.13, C1.37), compliance visits (C7.10), no right of appeal and the cooling-off period (C9.5).
- GOV.UK, Employees: if your visa sponsor loses their licence — cancellation of the certificate of sponsorship and the 60-day limit.
Section 4
Illegal Migration
Small boat Channel crossings, 2018–2025
| Year | Arrivals | Deaths | Top nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 299 | — | Iranian, Iraqi |
| 2019 | 1,843 | — | Iranian, Iraqi |
| 2020 | 8,466 | — | Iranian, Iraqi, Sudanese |
| 2021 | 28,526 | — | Iranian, Iraqi, Eritrean |
| 2022 | 45,774 | 73 | Albanian (12,301), Afghan, Iranian |
| 2023 | 29,437 | 12 | Afghan, Eritrean, Iranian |
| 2024 | 36,816 | 73 | Afghan, Syrian, Iranian |
| 2025 | 41,472 | 24 | Eritrean (18%), Afghan (11%), Iranian (11%) |
2025 arrivals: 76% adult men, 12% adult women, 12% children. 75 nationalities recorded (up from 24 in 2019).
Sources
Section 4 sources
- Home Office — Small Boat Arrivals Data
- House of Commons Library — Small Boat Crossings
- Migration Observatory — Channel Crossings
- Home Office FOI 2025/08221 (age/sex data), chart by @AylmerTH
Section 5
Fiscal Costs of Migration UK
Between these two datasets, the UK went through the COVID-19 pandemic as well as record net migration from 2021 to 2024.
Images 3-5 from CPS Taking Back Control. Image 6 by @nwnatur on X. Image 7 by @AJR2049 on X.
Section 6
Migration Impact on Similar Countries
Net migration is one of the components of UK population change, alongside births and deaths. For a model of how migration shapes the population by ethnic group, see population projections by ethnic group.
Sources