Latest figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that Britain is still top destination for migrants, with numbers of non-EU citizens moving to the UK on the rise.
Net migration to Britain of non-EU citizens rose to 248,000, the ONS said, the highest since 2004. Meanwhile, since 2012, the level of migration from the European Union stands at its lowest — 74,000 in the year to June 2018. According to the ONS, the decline is a trend that identified since the 2016 Brexit vote.
Over the year, 625,000 people moved to the UK with 351,000 leaving.
“Net migration continues to add to the population and has remained fairly stable since its peak in 2016, with around 270,000 more people coming to the UK than leaving in the year ending June 2018. However, there are different patterns for EU and non-EU migration. Due to increasing numbers arriving for work and study, non-EU net migration is now at the highest level since 2004. In contrast, EU net migration, while still adding to the population as a whole, is at the lowest since 2012,” said Jay Lindop, Director of the Centre for International Migration, ONS.
He added that the decisions to migrate are complex and people's decision to move to or from the UK will be influenced by a range of factors.
“The net inflow from the EU is still roughly the size of the British Army despite cries of alarm from industry over Brexit….
