File photo courtesy of Wikipedia

 

Net migration to the UK has significantly dropped by two-thirds in the year ending June 2025, according to provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The difference between those arriving in the UK and those leaving was 204,000, sharply down from 649,000 the previous year. Fewer people arriving for work and study have primarily driven this decline.

 

The figures emerged alongside Home Office data revealing that asylum claims hit a record high of 110,051 by September 2025. The number of asylum seekers in hotels increased by 2% compared to the previous year. The ONS and the Home Office released the statistics in two separate reports on Thursday.

 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the decline in net migration as a “step in the right direction”. This data marks the first set of migration figures almost fully covering Labour's first year in power. Home Office figures also highlighted an increase in initial asylum claim decisions to 133,502, with 45% granted.

 

The government plans to end the reliance on asylum hotels by the end of the current parliament, despite a current use of over 36,000 hotel spaces. This represents a 2% rise from the previous year but is lower than the September 2023 peak of 56,018. Recent legal challenges against the use of hotels continue, as illustrated by Epping Forest District Council's appeal against a High Court ruling.

 

Home Office representatives expressed determination to end the use of hotels and manage illegal migration. The release of data coincides with a 53% rise in small boat arrivals, totalling 45,659 in the year to September 2025, close to the 2022 peak. Among these arrivals were 5,151 children, some of whom were unaccompanied.

 

The "one in one out" scheme saw 153 migrants removed to France, with 134 brought to the UK. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced reforms to further reduce net migration, stating it had fallen to its lowest in five years. Plans to reform the legal migration system were highlighted, alongside changes to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in migration cases.

 

Migration experts suggest the reduction may reflect earlier Conservative policy changes, including a salary threshold adjustment from June 2024. Peter Walsh from the Migration Observatory notes that it takes about a year for such policy impacts to become clear in migration stats, reported the BBC.

 

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Net migration fell by two-thirds to 204,000 in June 2025, driven by fewer work and study arrivals.
• Asylum claims reached a record high with a 2% rise in asylum seekers in hotels compared to last year.
• Small boat arrivals increased by 53%, nearing previous record levels.

 

Related story:

UK to Enforce Tougher English Tests for Migrants from 2026

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-11-28

 

 

 

Should we be happy or sad?

 

So that's good news then?

 

43 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

 

So that's good news then?

 

Well if you accept "government statistics" you should be happy, if you look around you and observe the somewhat alien landscape being created in many of our urban communities perhaps less so.

48 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

 

So that's good news then?

 

Well if you accept "government statistics" you should be happy, if you look around you and observe the somewhat alien landscape being created in many of our urban communities perhaps less so.

21 minutes ago, JAG said:

Well if you accept "government statistics" you should be happy, if you look around you and observe the somewhat alien landscape being created in many of our urban communities perhaps less so.

The ONS is an independent body, it is not government controlled, has no ministerial influence. It is a completely independent entity, and overseen by the UK Statistics Authority - another completely independent body.

12 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

The ONS is an independent body, it is not government controlled, has no ministerial influence. It is a completely independent entity, and overseen by the UK Statistics Authority - another completely independent body.

A bit like the judiciary then?

 

Who funds the ONS, who commissions it's reports and who uses, relies on, those reports to justify, develop and form policy?

It's because all the Brits and the millionaires are leaving in droves. Sick of being taxed to death. 

 

Replaced by the boat people.

 

What could go wrong?

 

New blow for Rachel Reeves as record number of Brits leave UK | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

 

21 minutes ago, JAG said:

A bit like the judiciary then?

 

Who funds the ONS, who commissions it's reports and who uses, relies on, those reports to justify, develop and form policy?

The only reliable source of information is the garbage you dream up, anything that disputes your nonsense is a conspiracy.

 

 

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

It's because all the Brits and the millionaires are leaving in droves. Sick of being taxed to death. 

 

Replaced by the boat people.

 

What could go wrong?

 

New blow for Rachel Reeves as record number of Brits leave UK | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

 

Unless they are taking the source of the wealth with them then they are still paying tax.

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The only reliable source of information is the garbage you dream up, anything that disputes your nonsense is a conspiracy.

 

 

And there was me thinking that they were not unreasonable questions to ask!

 

Very weak Chomper, very weak, going straight to such abuse so early in the conversation!

8 minutes ago, JAG said:

And there was me thinking that they were not unreasonable questions to ask!

 

Very weak Chomper, very weak, going straight to such abuse so early in the conversation!

Forgive me for calling out your reliance on conspiracy to support the views you expressed.

9 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Unless they are taking the source of the wealth with them then they are still paying tax.

 

 

 

 

 

Some will. Some won't. 

 

But really, is taxing people all you care about? Oh sorry, you're a Labour supporter that's a silly question. 

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

The ONS is an independent body, it is not government controlled, has no ministerial influence. It is a completely independent entity, and overseen by the UK Statistics Authority - another completely independent body.

But responsible for reporting deaths of pensioners to DWP.

So not really independent.

40 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Forgive me for calling out your reliance on conspiracy to support the views you expressed.

Where do your theories of conspiracy come into it - again, I just posed some questions - rhetorical really I suppose!

 

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

It's because all the Brits and the millionaires are leaving in droves. Sick of being taxed to death. 

 

Replaced by the boat people.

 

What could go wrong?

 

New blow for Rachel Reeves as record number of Brits leave UK | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

 

Whatever previous estimate the Express claims it was referencing - and in light of past year sthey seem very dubious - emigration of UK nationals was in fact very similar to 2023.

"In the year ending December 2024, 257,000 British nationals are now estimated to have emigrated from the UK—2,000 more British nationals than in 2023. ..

But these figures have been trending up since before Labour took office. The new figures show that the estimated number of British nationals emigrating from the UK has been broadly increasing since 2021, while the estimated number of British nationals returning to the UK has been falling."

https://fullfact.org/immigration/british-national-migration-revisions/

 

Maybe you think Starmer is a time traveler?

Even the migrants are giving the s**thole UK a miss now. 

On 11/28/2025 at 8:18 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

Unless they are taking the source of the wealth with them then they are still paying tax.

 

 

 

 

 

They won't be soon and all those "dependents" arriving won't be paying tax either. 

On 11/28/2025 at 9:19 AM, Alan Zweibel said:

 

Whatever previous estimate the Express claims it was referencing - and in light of past year sthey seem very dubious - emigration of UK nationals was in fact very similar to 2023.

"In the year ending December 2024, 257,000 British nationals are now estimated to have emigrated from the UK—2,000 more British nationals than in 2023. ..

But these figures have been trending up since before Labour took office. The new figures show that the estimated number of British nationals emigrating from the UK has been broadly increasing since 2021, while the estimated number of British nationals returning to the UK has been falling."

https://fullfact.org/immigration/british-national-migration-revisions/

 

Maybe you think Starmer is a time traveler?

 

I wonder how wealthy the 2023 cohort was compared with the 2024 lot? 

4 hours ago, nauseus said:

 

I wonder how wealthy the 2023 cohort was compared with the 2024 lot? 

So, even though the numbers were virtually the same, you think it's likely that a lot more wealthy people left and fewer of the less wealthy didn't?

It's always "net migration", presumably to try to hide the fact the white British people are disproportionately leaving the country to be replaced largely by brown and black foreigners.

Yes Zaphod - the use of the 'net migration' term is a PC attempt to obfuscate.

 

What we are concerned about is called 'IMMIGRATION' and we don't want that factor distorted by 'migration' trends - it's woke gone crazy.

 

'Net migration' is a total misnomer - because, it's always 'NET IMMIGRATION" - the bl**dy opposte !!!!!!!

 

Use of this term has been institutionalised, to the shame of the UK's media and politicians.

 

 

On 11/28/2025 at 10:40 AM, josephbloggs said:

The ONS is an independent body, it is not government controlled, has no ministerial influence. It is a completely independent entity, and overseen by the UK Statistics Authority - another completely independent body.

HA ! HA ! When a Government hires a company to do a study or servey the perimiters that they set always give a result that they want...or they never get another contract.

3 hours ago, Zaphod Priest said:

It's always "net migration", presumably to try to hide the fact the white British people are disproportionately leaving the country to be replaced largely by brown and black foreigners.

 

That right. 

 

The great replacement. Native Brits leaving to be replaced by the boat people. 

 

This leads to a breakdown in culture, community cohesion and social responsibility that homogenous societies like Japan enjoy. 

 

Britain becoming a basket case. An island of strangers. Working Brits are paying for their own replacement. 

13 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

That right. 

The great replacement. Native Brits leaving to be replaced by the boat people. 

This leads to a breakdown in culture, community cohesion and social responsibility that homogenous societies like Japan enjoy. 

Britain becoming a basket case. An island of strangers. Working Brits are paying for their own replacement. 

 

   All Brits living abroad need to go home and reclaim the UK 

3 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

So, even though the numbers were virtually the same, you think it's likely that a lot more wealthy people left and fewer of the less wealthy didn't?

 

Yes.

So, after years of massive numbers of immigrants under Tory governments, Labour shows a decrease.   

 

The AN right wingers are danger of spraining their brains doing mental gymnastics to try to explain THIS away!

Just now, Callmeishmael said:

So, after years of massive numbers of immigrants under Tory governments, Labour shows a decrease.   

 

The AN right wingers are danger of spraining their brains doing mental gymnastics to try to explain THIS away!

So none under the previous Labour governments, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...................

1 minute ago, nauseus said:

 

Yes.

Why would that be? If the economic situation is worsening why would the be less of an outflow of the not so wealthy? If anything, those will lower disposable income than the super wealthy would feel more pressure to leave.

20 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

That right. 

 

The great replacement. Native Brits leaving to be replaced by the boat people. 

 

This leads to a breakdown in culture, community cohesion and social responsibility that homogenous societies like Japan enjoy. 

 

Britain becoming a basket case. An island of strangers. Working Brits are paying for their own replacement. 

The posts you’re repeating are rooted in a racist conspiracy theory. The idea of a “great replacement” is not supported by evidence - it’s a narrative created by far right Tommy Robinson type extremists to frame immigration as an attack on “native” people. It treats British citizens as a racial group rather than a national community, and it dehumanises migrants by suggesting they are part of some organised effort to “replace” anyone.

Calling people “boat people” is also a racist dog-whistle. It reduces real human beings - many fleeing war, persecution, or poverty - to a stereotype. Britain has a long history of immigration, and its culture has always evolved through mixing, not through racial purity. Claiming that culture or social responsibility only exist in “homogenous societies” ignores the reality that countries like Japan have completely different historical, economic and demographic contexts - and even Japan is experiencing cultural and demographic change.

You forget that you are an immigrant yourself to Thailand, yet they deserve white ones that come here to work. 

 

 

 

British workers are not “paying for their own replacement.” The economy depends on migration: the NHS, construction, agriculture, hospitality, logistics, and social care all rely heavily on immigrant labour. Without it, the system would collapse much faster.

What does damage community cohesion is promoting fear, racial hierarchy, and conspiracy theories. Britain is not becoming “an island of strangers” - it’s becoming the same multicultural, resilient, constantly-evolving society it has always been. The real threat is not migrants, but divisive rhetoric that pits neighbour against neighbour based on race or origin.