MADRID, November 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Last year, the UK recorded a net immigration level of 672,000 people, a figure that fell short of the Government’s goal but reflected a slight downward trend compared to the previous year, in a context marked by a tightening of policies to speed up deportations and stem migration flows across the English Channel.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) this Thursday published its report for the twelve months before June 2023, which stated that 1.2 million people arrived in the UK but around 508,000 people left the UK. Therefore, the net rate reaches 672,000, while for 2022 as a whole it is 745,000.

Although for the ONS “it is too early to say whether this is the start of a new downward trend”, they believe that the latest statistics “show a decline in immigration and an increase in emigration”, therefore they anticipate that future reports will show the same. The same. reflecting further declines.

Immigration control is one of the big issues raised to justify breaking up Britain with Brexit, a divorce that currently changes not so much the number of people coming to British territory, but rather their origins. Until 2019, the majority of arrivals in the UK came from EU countries, but since 2021 the data has been dominated by non-EU citizens.

Last year, immigration from outside the EU amounted to 968,000 people, 82 percent of the total, mainly for study reasons. Additionally, more and more people are emigrating to the UK to work in the health and care sector.

On the other hand, around 129,000 EU citizens arrived in the UK in the last review period, according to official reports.

Since Cameron’s time in Downing Street, the Government has set a goal of reducing net migration levels to “tens of thousands” of people, to below 100,000. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has remained firm on his commitment to continue reducing refugee numbers, with messages calling, for example, to “stop the boats” coming from France.

But in their aims, they face judicial rejection of one of the current cabinet’s main plans, which proposes the deportation of migrants to Rwanda. Sunak has not given up on the initiative and has promised changes to the law to avoid a blow like the one dealt by the Supreme Court last week.

BETWEEN SATISFACTION AND “FAILURE”

Home Secretary James Cleverly, who took office last week after Suella Braverman suddenly resigned, detected a “significant and positive change” in the figures and indicated that the Executive remained “fully committed” to maintaining this trend.

At the same time, he also pointed out that the fact that most of the migrants were students or health workers showed the strength of Britain’s universities and the system’s ability to “prioritise the necessary training,” the BBC reported. .

However, for Labour, what the ONS data shows is the “failure” of ‘Tory’ policies, as the main opposition party’s Home Affairs Chair, Yvette Cooper, has set an example regarding the poor. management of the fact that there are still 56,000 asylum seekers in hotels.