Study Abroad: UK Net Migration Declines By 20% In 2024; Details Here

As per new data, in the year ending in June 2024, the net migration to the UK has dropped to 728,000, which is a decline of 20%.

Study in UK: According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, the UK witnessed a decline of 20% in net immigration in the year ending in June 2024. The number of immigrants in the UK declined to 728,000 as compared to the year ending in June 2023, when the immigrants number stood at 906,000.

Indians form the leading group of non-EU migrants in both study and work visa categories. For long-term immigration to the UK, as of June 2024, 240,000 Indians migration recorded.

"India sent the most students to the UK in 2021/22, 126,600 entrants in 2022/23; this was more than ten times the number of entrants from India in 2017/18," said the statement of the UK Parliament.

"There are some signs of a fall in international student numbers in 2023 and 2024. The number of student visas granted increased to a new record of around 484,000 in 2022 before falling by 5% in 2023. Applications for study visas in August (traditionally the peak month) were 17% lower in 2024 than in 2023. Data from an international student enrolment platform suggests that postgraduate entrants in January 2024 were down by around one-third," added the statement of Parliament.

British PM Seeks Stricter Immigration Measures

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged stricter immigration policies as he is reportedly not happy with the 906,000 arrivals last year.

Keir Starmer said, “Time and again the Conservative Party promised they would get the numbers down. Time and again they failed. This isn’t just bad luck or a global trend—it’s a different order of failure. This happened by design, not accident," as reported by India Today.

Drop In Immigrants Likely Due To Less Students Bringing Dependents To UK

ONS director of population statistics Mary Gregory has said that the fall in migration can partly be attributed to fewer international students bringing dependents to the UK.

“Since 2021, long-term international migration to the UK has been at unprecedented levels. This has been driven by a variety of factors, including the war in Ukraine, the effects of the post-Brexit immigration system and pent-up demand for study-related immigration because of travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Gregory, as reported by The Pie News.

“In the 12 months to June 2024 we have seen a fall in immigration, driven by declining numbers of dependants on study-related visas from outside the EU,” she continued.

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