UK net migration hits 2-year low in Brexit boost for May

epaselect epa05805437 An European Union flag flutters as Pro EU migrants protest outside parliament in London, Britain, 20 February 2017. Pro EU migrants residing in the UK held a day of action to protest against the so-called 'Brexit' and the right to remain in Britain following Britain's exit from the EU. The House of Lords is set to debate Article 50, that starts the exit procedure, the same day 20 February. EPA/ANDY RAIN

 

Bloomberg

Net migration to the UK fell to its lowest in more than two years, providing a boost for Prime Minister Theresa May as she seeks to reduce the number of foreigners coming
to Britain.
Those arriving to live or study for a minimum of one year outnumbered those leaving by 273,000 in the year through September, the Office for National Statistics in London said on Thursday. That’s down from a near-record 335,000 in the year prior to the June vote to leave the European Union. Net migration from other European Union nations fell to 165,000. For countries outside the EU, it declined to 164,000 after a sharp drop in the number of foreign students.
“For the first we see more people coming in from Europe than from outside Europe and that shows that where we can control numbers — which we can from outside the EU — we are doing so,” Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill told Sky News. The data are “very encouraging” because Britain will be able to use similar restrictions on Europeans after Brexit when it no longer has to meet EU requirements for free movement of labor, he said.
May has promised tighter controls on immigration as she prepares to trigger the start of Brexit negotiations in the next five weeks. Her Conservative Party has repeatedly pledged to reduce net migration to below 100,000, a target critics say will be difficult to achieve.
The number of EU citizens leaving Britain in the latest 12 months jumped to 103,000, the most in more than six years. That may alarm companies facing skills shortages and industries such as agriculture and hospitality that rely heavily on foreign workers.

‘WORRYING’ SIGN
“Signs that EU nationals are starting to leave because of the climate of uncertainty are worrying for employers and businesses,” said Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills at the Institute of Directors. “Free movement across the EU was clearly a major factor behind the Brexit vote, and businesses are well aware that changes to the immigration system are
coming.”

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