Net migration was almost 50,000 down on the year to September 2015, though remained well above the government's oft-repeated target of getting net migration down to below 100,000 by 2020.Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures estimated the number of immigrants at 596,000, comprising 268,000 EU citizens, 257,000 non-EU citizens and 71,000 returning UK citizens. The ONS estimated that 323,000 people had emigrated from the UK, comprising 128,000 British citizens, 103,000 EU citizens and 93,000 non-EU citizens.

Fall in student arrivals

The ONS also recorded a fall in arrivals of non-EU, long-term students, although there was a small increase in the number of study visas issued.Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill said, "The fall in net migration is encouraging. But this is just one set of statistics and we must not get carried away. We will continue to make progress to bring down net migration to the tens of thousands."We will continue reforming routes to the UK from outside Europe and will use the opportunity to take control of immigration from within the EU as we begin Brexit negotiations in the coming weeks."The UK will always welcome those who contribute and benefit our country, but there is no consent for uncontrolled immigration."

---

 Related news:

• Reductions in post-Brexit immigration to be 'vanishingly thin'
• UK government pledges to protect EU expats' right to remain
• Think tank predicts 30,000 London jobs will relocate

---

The ONS said the numbers leaving the UK over the 12 months included a "statistically significant" increase of 12,000 (to 39,000 in total) in departures of citizens of the EU8 nations – Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.Nicola White, head of migration statistics at the ONS, said, "Although net migration in the year to September 2016 has not seen a statistically significant change, we have seen a statistically significant decrease in net migration among EU8 citizens and non-EU citizens from Africa, the Americas and Oceania."This is the first release to contain long-term international migration estimates including three months of data following the EU referendum."Although we have seen a fall in net migration of EU8 citizens, there have been continued increases in immigration from Romania and Bulgaria, so it is too early to say what effect the referendum result has had on long-term international migration."

Climate of uncertainty

Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills at the Institute of Directors, said the figures "provide the first signs of the effect on immigration since Britain voted for Brexit last summer".He said, "Signs that EU nationals are starting to leave because of the climate of uncertainty are worrying for employers and businesses."Free movement across the EU was clearly a major factor behind the Brexit vote, and businesses are well aware that changes to the immigration system are coming."However, if in the long term this means a reduction in the number of skilled immigrants and the range of candidates available to growing businesses, the country as a whole will suffer."Gerwyn Davies, Labour market analyst at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), commented, "The modest fall in immigration from the EU for work-related purposes during the past quarter masks a sharp fall in the number of EU immigrants that have come to the UK for work without a job offer. “The fall of almost 20 per cent is likely to have a disproportionate impact on SMEs and low-skilled sectors such as retail and hospitality. This is consistent with recent warnings from the CIPD of labour shortages in a concentrated number of sectors in the UK economy."The figures should sound another warning to employers to widen their recruitment channels and redouble their efforts to make jobs more attractive to applicants from under-utilised groups by offering flexible working options and clear progression routes.”For related news and features, visit our Brexit section.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory  Get access to our free Global Mobility Toolkit

©2024 Re:locate magazine, published by Profile Locations, Spray Hill, Hastings Road, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8JB. All rights reserved. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of Profile Locations. Profile Locations accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.