With net migration hitting a staggering 744,000 in just one year, the UK's demographic landscape is undergoing a transformation so profound that it now accounts for virtually all of the nation's population growth.
Key Takeaways
- In the year ending June 2023, net migration to the UK reached a record high of 744,000, driven primarily by an increase in non-EU immigration.
- The UK's population grew by 1.2 million between mid-2021 and mid-2022, with 92% of this growth attributed to net international migration.
- From 2019 to 2022, net migration contributed 89% to the UK's population increase of 2.2 million.
- In year ending September 2023, 52,000 work visas granted to main applicants from India.
- Health and Care Worker visas: 118,000 granted in year ending September 2023, up 261% from pre-pandemic.
- Skilled Worker visas: 146,000 main applicants in year ending September 2023.
- In year ending September 2023, 457,000 sponsored study visas granted.
- Student dependants: 153,000 visas granted in year ending September 2023, up from 15,000 pre-pandemic.
- Postgraduate research student visas: 43,000 main applicants year ending September 2023.
- Year ending September 2023, 22,900 family visas granted to partners/spouses.
- Adult dependant relatives: 49 visas granted year ending September 2023.
- Child dependants on family visas: 7,900 in year ending September 2023.
- In 2023, 74,000 small boat arrivals detected crossing English Channel.
- Asylum applications: 84,200 principal applicants in year ending September 2023.
- Initial asylum grant rate: 48% in year ending September 2023.
Non-EU immigration has surged, pushing UK net migration to a record high.
Asylum, Refugees, and Irregular Migration
- In 2023, 74,000 small boat arrivals detected crossing English Channel.
- Asylum applications: 84,200 principal applicants in year ending September 2023.
- Initial asylum grant rate: 48% in year ending September 2023.
- Top nationality asylum: Pakistan 11,000 applications year ending Q3 2023.
- Afghanistan: 9,300 asylum claims year ending September 2023.
- Iran: 9,100 asylum claims year ending September 2023.
- Albania: 7,700 asylum claims, mostly small boat arrivals.
- Syrian refugees resettled: 20,000 under schemes by 2023.
- Asylum backlog: 175,000 cases at end September 2023.
- Rwanda relocation plan: 0 relocations by end 2023 despite legislation.
- Hotel asylum accommodation cost: £8.3 million per day in September 2023.
- 29% of small boat arrivals were Albanian men aged 18-39 in 2023.
- Detected irregular arrivals: 44,000 by small boat in 2023.
- Asylum appeals allowed: 46% success rate in 2023.
- Ukraine humanitarian schemes: 309,000 visas by December 2023.
- Afghan Relocations: 23,000 ARAP scheme by September 2023.
- Afghan nationals granted asylum: 76% initial decision rate in 2023.
- Unaccompanied asylum children: 9,000 applications in 2023.
- Asylum support recipients: 51,000 households in 2023.
- Small boat detection: average 75 per crossing in 2023.
Asylum, Refugees, and Irregular Migration Interpretation
While the government's controversial policies, like the costly and yet-to-launch Rwanda plan, grab headlines, the real story is a staggering asylum backlog and a daily hotel bill of £8.3 million, all while the UK successfully provided sanctuary to over 350,000 Ukrainians and Afghans through separate, functioning legal routes.
Family and Other Visas
- Year ending September 2023, 22,900 family visas granted to partners/spouses.
- Adult dependant relatives: 49 visas granted year ending September 2023.
- Child dependants on family visas: 7,900 in year ending September 2023.
- Family reunion for refugees: 2,700 grants in year ending September 2023.
- British National (Overseas) visas: 146,000 granted since 2021 to September 2023.
- Ukraine Family visas: 66,000 under schemes to September 2023.
- Hong Kong BN(O): 176,000 arrivals by end 2023.
- Other family routes: 1,300 grants year ending September 2023.
- Partner/spouse visa income threshold met by 85% of applicants in 2023.
- 28% of family visas to Indian nationals year ending June 2023.
- Pakistan: 18% of family visas year ending June 2023.
- Albania: 4,900 family visas year ending June 2023.
- Family visa refusals: 40% rate for adult dependants in 2023.
- Ukraine Sponsorship: 243,000 visas by September 2023.
- Settled status under EU Settlement Scheme: 6.95 million grants by June 2023.
- Pre-settled status: 1.82 million by June 2023.
- Late applications to EUSS: 1.8 million by deadline extensions.
- Other visas (e.g. visitor): 28.6 million in 2019 pre-pandemic.
- Creative Worker visas: 2,100 granted year ending September 2023.
- Religious Worker visas: 2,800 year ending September 2023.
Family and Other Visas Interpretation
The UK's immigration story is a complex tapestry where an army of British National Overseas from Hong Kong and Ukrainian families finding refuge dwarf the handful of adult dependant relatives who've managed to sneak through a door that's almost entirely shut, proving it's easier to move a country's worth of people than to convince the Home Office you're a financially viable adult who needs their mum.
Overall Migration Statistics
- In the year ending June 2023, net migration to the UK reached a record high of 744,000, driven primarily by an increase in non-EU immigration.
- The UK's population grew by 1.2 million between mid-2021 and mid-2022, with 92% of this growth attributed to net international migration.
- From 2019 to 2022, net migration contributed 89% to the UK's population increase of 2.2 million.
- In 2022, the UK saw 1.1 million long-term immigrants, the highest since records began in 1964.
- Emigration from the UK in the year ending June 2023 was 489,000, down from previous years due to fewer EU citizens leaving.
- Net migration excluding asylum was 606,000 in the year ending June 2023.
- Between 2004 and 2022, cumulative net migration to the UK totalled 7.8 million.
- In 2021, net migration was 184,000, rebounding from negative figures during COVID-19.
- The foreign-born population in the UK rose from 8.9% in 2011 to 14.4% in 2021 Census.
- UK's total population reached 67.6 million in mid-2023, with migration accounting for 100% of growth since 2022.
- Immigration peaked at 1.2 million in year ending June 2022.
- Non-EU net migration was 1.1 million in 2022, compared to EU net migration of -91,000.
- Long-term migration definition: arrivals intending to stay 12+ months, departures leaving after 12+ months stay.
- Provisional net migration estimates revised upwards by 139,000 for year ending June 2022.
- UK's migrant population share is 14% of total, higher than US (14%) but lower than Australia (30%).
- In 2023, 10.7% of England's population was non-UK born, up from 7.5% in 2001.
- Net migration forecast by OBR: 350,000 annually from 2028 under policy changes.
- Year ending Dec 2023: immigration 1.3 million, emigration 560,000, net 685,000.
- EU net migration turned negative in 2020 at -88,000, remaining so through 2023.
- Non-UK nationals made up 72% of net migration in year ending June 2023.
- Immigration from India was 242,000 in year ending June 2023.
- From Nigeria: 141,000 immigrants in same period.
- Pakistan: 83,000 immigrants year ending June 2023.
- China: 71,000 immigrants year ending June 2023.
- Zimbabwe: 41,000 immigrants year ending June 2023.
- In 2022 Census, 3.9 million UK residents born in Asia, 16% of population.
- EU-born population in UK fell from 3.7 million in 2016 to 3.0 million in 2021.
- Non-EU born rose from 5.3 million in 2016 to 7.1 million in 2021.
- Year ending Dec 2022 net migration revised to 764,000.
- Immigration from Ukraine: 188,000 in year ending June 2023 under special schemes.
Overall Migration Statistics Interpretation
While Brexit made the UK less enticing for a pint, it’s apparently become the hottest ticket in town for everyone else, swapping EU migrants for a global crowd at a record pace.
Study-related Immigration
- In year ending September 2023, 457,000 sponsored study visas granted.
- Student dependants: 153,000 visas granted in year ending September 2023, up from 15,000 pre-pandemic.
- Postgraduate research student visas: 43,000 main applicants year ending September 2023.
- India: 116,000 student visas year ending September 2023.
- China: 112,000 student visas year ending September 2023.
- Nigeria: 58,000 student visas year ending September 2023.
- Pakistan: 33,000 student visas year ending September 2023.
- 78% of student visa grants were for postgraduate level in year ending September 2023.
- Student visas peaked at 496,000 in year ending July 2023.
- Dependants of students: 145,000 from India, 17,000 from China in 2023.
- Graduate visas granted: 164,000 in year ending September 2023.
- 50% of graduate route visas to master's graduates in 2023.
- International students contribute £41.9 billion to UK economy annually pre-2023.
- 690,000 international students in UK higher education in 2022/23.
- Non-EU students: 65% of international students in 2022/23.
- London universities host 37% of international students.
- Student visa refusal rate: 7% for main applicants in 2023.
- From 2019 to 2023, student immigration net contribution was 280,000.
- 432,225 sponsored study visas in year ending December 2023.
- Pakistan student dependants: 22,000 in year ending September 2023.
- Nigeria student dependants: 36,000 in year ending September 2023.
- Universities UK: 40% of PhDs by international students.
- In year ending December 2023, 22,800 student visas refused.
Study-related Immigration Interpretation
Britain's academic allure remains potent, drawing a record-breaking number of international postgraduates and their families, which has transformed its student immigration from a purely scholarly pursuit into a significant demographic and economic force in one generation.
Work-related Immigration
- In year ending September 2023, 52,000 work visas granted to main applicants from India.
- Health and Care Worker visas: 118,000 granted in year ending September 2023, up 261% from pre-pandemic.
- Skilled Worker visas: 146,000 main applicants in year ending September 2023.
- Temporary Worker visas granted: 157,000 in year ending September 2023.
- Global Business Mobility visas: 53,400 issued in year ending September 2023.
- 94% of Skilled Worker visa grants went to occupations below RQF level 6 in 2023.
- Indian nationals received 46,000 Skilled Worker visas in year ending June 2023.
- Nigerian nationals: 29,000 Skilled Worker visas year ending June 2023.
- Work visa dependants: 144,000 granted in year ending September 2023.
- Care workers: 106,000 visas granted in year ending September 2023, 75% to dependants.
- Senior Care Worker visas: only 4% of care visas went to this role despite salary threshold.
- IT professionals: 26% of Skilled Worker visas in 2023.
- Health professionals: 39% of Skilled Worker visas in year ending December 2023.
- Scale-up visas granted: 3,400 in year ending September 2023.
- High Potential Individual visas: 5,800 granted since launch in 2022 to September 2023.
- Work visas from India: 118,000 total in year ending June 2023.
- From Philippines: 37,000 work visas year ending June 2023.
- Zimbabwe: 24,000 work visas year ending June 2023.
- Nigeria: 58,000 work visas year ending June 2023.
- 79,000 care worker visas sponsored by just 20% of care providers in 2023.
- Adult social care vacancies: 152,000 in June 2023, filled partly by migrants.
- Migrant workers fill 18% of UK jobs overall, but 27% in health/social care.
- Post-Brexit, non-EU work visas tripled from 39,000 in 2019 to 146,000 in 2023.
Work-related Immigration Interpretation
Post-Brexit Britain has leaned heavily on a rapid, and at times lopsided, global recruitment drive, where nearly a third of all health and social care roles are now filled by migrant workers, yet the system still seems to be scrambling to staff the wards while grappling with a heavy dependence on care worker dependants and a relative trickle of high-potential newcomers.
Sources & References
- Reference 1ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 2MIGRATIONOBSERVATORYmigrationobservatory.ox.ac.ukVisit source
- Reference 3OBRobr.ukVisit source
- Reference 4GOVgov.ukVisit source
- Reference 5UKCISAukcisa.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 6HESAhesa.ac.ukVisit source
- Reference 7UNIVERSITIESUKuniversitiesuk.ac.ukVisit source