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Sir Keir Starmer will hold a press conference later this afternoon to address the sharp fall in net migration.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that net migration has fallen by 20 per cent this year, after reaching a record high of more than 900,000 in 2023.
It fell to 728,000 in the year to June 2024. But this came after net migration figures for the year to June 2023 were revised upwards to 906,000 from the initial estimate of 740,000, the ONS said.
Meanwhile, the cost of the UK’s asylum system has risen to £5 billion, the highest level of spending on record and up by more than a third in a year, according to separate Home Office data published at the same time.
The figures come as new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch admitted her party had failed on migration.
Downing Street said the statistics “show that the government inherited a situation from the previous government where they had effectively run Britain as an experiment in open borders”.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said net migration “remains far too high” and the UK needs stricter border controls.
New white paper on immigration
The prime minister has said a new white paper will be published on how to reduce immigration.
The Migration Advisory Committee is already conducting a review, Mr Starmer said.
Brexit used to turn Britain into ‘one nation experiment’ – Starmer
The prime minister said: “This happened by design not accident. Policies were formed deliberately to liberalise immigration. Brexit was used for that purpose to turn Britain into a one nation experiment in open borders.”
Tories ran ‘open borders experiment’ – Starmer
The prime minister has accused the prime minister of running an ‘open borders experiment’.
He said: “As the ONS sets out, nearly 1 million people came to Britain in the year ending June 2023 that is four times the migration levels, compared with 2019.”
Keir Starmer’s press conference has started
The prime minister has started addressing today’s immigration figures.
BREAKING: Home secretary announces ‘world-first’ agreement between Iraq and UK to tackle people smuggling
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a new security agreement with Iraq following a three-day visit to the country.
As part of her visit, Ms Cooper signed a joint statement on border security that pledged that the nations would work more closely on tackling people smuggling.
The UK is also providing up to £300,000 for Iraq law enforcement training in border security.
Keir Starmer is preparing to host a press conference
The prime minister will shortly deliver a press conference on migration from Downing Street
Watch live: Keir Starmer gives Downing Street speech on migration
Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer holds a news conference on migration.
The prime minister will hold a press conference on migration in Downing Street at 3pm on Thursday (28 November).
‘Serious damage’ has been done to immigration system, says home secretary
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said that “serious damage” has been done to the immigration system – as net migration figures showing that the UK’s population grew by 906,000 people in 2023 are revealed.
Commenting on the latest figures, she said: “In the space of four years net migration rose by almost five times to a record high – that shows the serious damage that was done to the immigration system, the lack of proper controls in place, and the over reliance on a big increase in overseas recruitment. Net migration is still four times higher than it was at the beginning of the last parliament and we are clear that it needs to come down.”
Keir Starmer’s great ‘reset’ win as he is invited to meeting of EU leaders for first time since Brexit
Keir Starmer is set to be invited to a meeting of EU leaders in what will be seen as a sign of success for his plans for a great Brexit “reset’”.
It will be the first time a British prime minister has been asked to attend such a gathering since the UK’s exit from the European Union in 2020.
And it will be seen as an early win for Sir Keir’s plans to improve the UK’s damaged relationship with the bloc in the wake of Brexit.
Kate Devlin reports
Number of Vietnamese migrants crossing Channel on small boats soars 177% in a year
The number of Vietnamese migrants arriving to the UK on small boats has jumped by 177 per cent year-on-year, according to new data on Channel crossings.
Home Office figures published on Thursday showed that from January to September this year the two most common nationalities making perilous journeys across the Channel were Afghans and Vietnamese.
Compared to the same nine-month period last year, the number of Afghan arrivals has decreased by 14 per cent, but the number of Vietnamese is up by a staggering 177 per cent.
Some 3,132 Vietnamese small boat migrants made the journey from January to September this year – up from 1,306 in the whole of 2023.
Holly Bancroft reports
Source: independent.co.uk
