More and more people decide to leave the UK. A retreat from the post-Brexit boom

Between mid-2024 and mid-2025, 204,000 people came to the UK for long-term stays. more people than left it, which means that net international migration fell by more than two-thirds year-on-year, the statistical office ONS reported on Thursday.

As a result, the migration balance dropped to the levels before the introduction of the new, post-Brexit migration system at the beginning of 2021, which was intended to limit the arrival of foreigners to Great Britain, but in practice caused an unprecedented inflow of people from outside the European Union.

In the 12 months from July 2024 to June 2025, almost 898,000 people came to the UK. people, and over 693 thousand left. In the previous period – from July 2023 to June 2024 – the number of immigrants amounted to 1.299 million and emigrants – 650 thousand, which gave a net migration of 649 thousand. In turn, in the record period from April 2022 to March 2023, the net migration amounted to 944,000. (1,469 thousand immigrants and 525 thousand emigrants).

As explained by the ONS, the decline in net migration was primarily due to the decreasing number of people from outside the EU coming to the UK with the intention of long-term stay, but also the growing number of people leaving the country. The decline in the number of people arriving from outside the EU was caused in particular by a smaller number of work and student visas issued and the limited ability of these people to bring family members.

However, immigrants from outside the EU still constitute the vast majority, 75%, of the 898,000. people who came to Great Britain during the period in question. 16 percent are British citizens returning to the country, and 9 percent – citizens of EU countries. The proportions are different in the case of 693 thousand. people who left Great Britain: 22 percent are citizens of EU countries, 36 percent – British, and 41 percent – citizens of other countries.

ONS data also show that clearly more Poles are currently leaving the UK than coming to it. In the period between mid-2024 and mid-2025, approximately 7,000 people came to this country with the intention of long-term stay. Polish citizens, and 25,000 left the country (PAP)

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