Overview

• Net migration to the UK dropped from a revised record high of 906,000 in 2023 to 728,000 in 2024, driven by fewer dependants on study visas and increased emigration of former students.
• The Office for National Statistics attributed the decline to policy changes, including restrictions on study visa dependants introduced by the previous Conservative government.
• Labour's response focused on long-term solutions, including tackling people smuggling and signing agreements with origin countries, while avoiding numerical migration targets.
• Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, called for a return to annual migration caps but did not commit to specific figures, echoing past unfulfilled Tory pledges.
• Nigel Farage and Reform UK capitalized on public discontent over immigration, positioning migration as a key issue for upcoming local elections.