Office for National Statistics' latest quarterly report shows increase in net migration to the UK compared to May's report
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published its latest migration statistics showing that a recent trend of falling net migration (the difference between immigration and emigration) has stopped.
Today's statistics show that net migration to the UK in the year ending December 2012 stood at 176,000, up from a figure of 153,000 for the 12 months ending September 2012.
It's the first rise after five consecutive quarters of falls, the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford noted.
However, the figure is down from an estimate of 215,000 in the year to December 2011, though the ONS notes the difference is not statistically significant.
According to the ONS, the number of immigrants to the UK did show a statistically significant decline in 2012 compared to 2011, falling by around 70,000.
You can read the latest ONS report here.
An ONS press release highlighted the following key statistics from the report:
• Latest provisional data show that there was a net flow of 176,000 Long-Term migrants to the UK in the year ending December 2012. This is lower than the estimate of 215,000 in the year to December 2011, but it is not a statistically significant fall.
• 497,000 people immigrated to the UK in the year ending December 2012, which is a statistically significant decline from the 566,000 who immigrated during the previous year. This decrease has caused the fall in net migration.
• 321,000 emigrants left the UK in the year ending December 2012, which is a statistically significant decrease from the 351,000 who emigrated during the previous year.
• Net migration has increased in the year ending December 2012 when compared to the year ending September 2012, when it stood at 153,000. This increase suggests the decline seen in net migration on a rolling quarterly basis since the year ending June 2011 has not continued.
• Immigration of New Commonwealth citizens decreased significantly from 151,000 in the year ending December 2011 to 97,000 in the year ending December 2012.
• 180,000 immigrants arrived in the UK for formal study in the year ending December 2012; this is similar to the 179,000 immigrants who arrived in the UK for work related reasons.
• 181,000 people migrated away from the UK for work related reasons in the year ending December 2012, a statistically significant decrease compared to 201,000 people who emigrated for this reason the year previously.
• The number of visas issued, excluding visitor and transit visas, was 501,840 in the year ending June 2013, 4% lower than the previous year (520,073). However, this was slightly up on the year ending March 2013 (499,641).
• In the year ending June 2013, there were 204,469 study visas issued (excluding student visitors), a fall of 5% compared with the previous year.
• Sponsored study visas applications fell 2% in the year ending June 2013. This change was not uniform, with a 4% increase for the university sector and falls of 25%, 16% and 3%, respectively, for further education, English language schools and independent schools.
• 562,000 National Insurance numbers (NINos) were allocated to non-UK nationals in the year to March 2013, a decrease of 6% on the year to March 2012
Immigration Minister Mark Harper was quoted by the Telegraph as saying: "Net migration is down by a third since its peak in 2010. Our reforms are working and are building an immigration system that works in the national interest. We have tightened immigration routes where abuse was rife, but are still encouraging the brightest and best to come here to study and work."