Net migration to the UK dropped sharply in the year to June 2025, falling by two-thirds compared with the previous 12 months, according to provisional Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. The net figure declined from 649,000 to 204,000, driven largely by a steep reduction in arrivals for work and study.
The release comes alongside fresh Home Office figures showing asylum claims have reached record levels. In the year to September 2025, 110,051 people applied for asylum— the highest number on record.
Despite this, the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels rose only slightly, up 2% from September 2024, though the 36,000 people in hotels still represent a 13% rise over the last three months.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the fall in net migration as a “step in the right direction”, with this data marking the first ONS migration snapshot covering most of Labour’s first year in power.
The Home Office said decision-making on asylum claims has accelerated significantly, with 133,502 initial decisions made in the past year.
Almost half (45%) were granted, while the backlog awaiting an initial ruling fell by 36% compared with a year earlier. However, appeals are rising, adding new pressure to the system.
The government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by the end of the current parliament. Officials said fewer than 200 hotels remain in use, and the aim is to “close every single one”, with plans to move people to military bases to reduce pressure on local communities.
Small boat arrivals surged by 53% in the year to September 2025, with 45,659 people crossing the Channel— close to the 2022 peak.
The rise is partly due to an increase in the number of people travelling per vessel. This included 5,151 children, of whom 2,700 were accompanied. Downing Street acknowledged the crossings remain “too high”.
Meanwhile, 153 migrants have been removed to France under the pilot “one in, one out” scheme, while 134 individuals have been relocated to the UK through the same system.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said net migration is now at its lowest level in five years, adding that the government will “go further” to ensure those who come to the UK “contribute more than they take out”.
Opposition parties offered mixed responses, with Conservatives arguing the fall stems from earlier reforms, Reform UK criticising Labour’s “priorities”, and Liberal Democrats urging a stronger response to small boat arrivals and hotel accommodation.
Courtesy of the BBC
Picture: Heathrow airport
