Figures showing net migration hit a record high last year

Latest figures are expected to show net migration last year at a record level as Labor accused the government of getting immigration in a mess and the prime minister claimed the opposition had “absolutely no idea” on the subject.

The Office for National Statistics will publish data for the year ending December 2022 on Thursday.

An analysis by the Center for Policy Studies estimates that net emigration in that period could have been between 700,000 and 997,000.

Those figures are much higher than the level of 226,000 when the Conservative Party manifesto of 2019 promised that “the overall number would decrease” following the introduction of border controls after Brexit.

Rishi Sunak recently promised action to reduce net migration, telling reporters on a trip to Japan that he wanted to be “crystal clear” with the public that “the numbers are very high” and that he would “bring them down.” want to bring”.

The latest available figures show levels are already at a record high.

Total net migration – the difference between the number of people moving into the UK and the number leaving the country – was estimated at 504,000 in the 12 months to June 2022.

This was up sharply to 173,000 in the year to June 2021.

According to the ONS, the increase was driven by a series of “unprecedented world events”, including the war in Ukraine, the end of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the resettlement of Afghan refugees, and a new visa route for British citizens from Hong Kong. and students coming from outside the EU.

On Tuesday, as part of efforts to curb net migration, the government announced that overseas students would be banned from bringing dependents to the UK from January 2024.

The change will not apply to those on postgraduate research programmes.

Mr Sunak said it was the “biggest single measure to tackle legal immigration, remove international students’ right to bring dependents, toughen rules on post-study work and review maintenance requirements”.

Meanwhile, Labor has unveiled immigration plans that would prevent businesses from bridging staff shortages by hiring cheap foreign workers.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons: “The Prime Minister stood on three Tory manifestos, each promising to reduce immigration. Every promise was broken.

“This mess on immigration shows a Tory party with no ambition for working people and no ambition for Britain, the same old failed ideas – low wages and high taxes.”

Mr Sunak questioned Labour’s contribution, saying: “There are absolutely no ideas … absolutely no sense that there will be any control. Why? Because he believes in an open-door immigration policy.”