UK net migration up with Ukraine and Hong Kong arrivals

UK nett migration roseate to a grounds 606,000 past year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

Net migration is the quality betwixt the fig of radical arriving successful the UK, and the fig leaving.

Factors see resettlement schemes for radical leaving Ukraine and Hong Kong arsenic good arsenic overseas students.

It is considered a large setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who has been nether unit to present a 2019 Tory manifesto pledge to chopped nett migration.

Appearing connected ITV's This Morning, Mr Sunak said the numbers were "too high" but denied they were retired of control.

In 2022, an estimated 1.2 cardinal radical arrived successful the UK, and 557,000 emigrated, the ONS said.

The 606,000 fig is an summation of 164,000 connected 2021's nett migration total.

Most of those coming to the UK were non-EU nationals (925,000), followed by EU nationals (151,000) and British radical (88,000).

Among them, 114,000 Ukrainians arrived successful the UK past year, aft Russia invaded past February.

And 52,000 Hong Kong citizens moved to the UK successful 2022 connected a peculiar visa strategy created aft China imposed a nationalist information instrumentality successful the erstwhile British colony, which made it easier for authorities to punish protesters.

The fig of work-related arrivals from extracurricular the EU astir doubled compared with 2021 - 235,000 compared with 137,000 the twelvemonth before.

The ONS pointed retired that the latest figures bespeak changes made during the pandemic successful however authoritative migration figures are calculated.

Projections are present linked much to authorities information alternatively than surveys of passengers arriving astatine British ports, and asylum seeker numbers are present included.

BBC Verify estimates asylum seekers marque up astir 8% of migration into the UK from extracurricular the EU.

Last year, 76,000 radical applied for asylum successful the UK, 23,000 much than the erstwhile year.

The fig doesn't see everybody who arrived successful tiny boats, but the Home Office estimates astir 90% of radical who get that mode spell connected to question asylum.

Dr Peter Walsh, of Oxford University's Migration Observatory, described the existent play arsenic "very unusual" and said the UK was a fashionable destination for overseas students and workers.

He told BBC Breakfast determination person been initiatives from the authorities and universities to enlistee much students, peculiarly from countries similar India and Nigeria.

"They besides past twelvemonth brought astir 100,000 partners and children," Dr Walsh added.

"International students wage the precocious fees which subsidise the acquisition of home students."

Could the government's 2010 nett migration people of tens of thousands ever beryllium hit?

As Oxford University's Migration Observatory points out, non-EU migration has importantly risen acknowledgment to the UK welcoming radical from Ukraine and Hong Kong, a post-pandemic summation successful planetary students and a leap successful visas for skilled workers - peculiarly successful wellness and care.

We're expecting Ukraine and Hong Kong arrivals to adust up - and idiosyncratic entries whitethorn stabilise. The departure of planetary students should summation portion galore caller ones volition nary longer beryllium capable to bring relatives.

Figures could driblet by different 70,000 if the government's arguable program to divert overseas astir each asylum claims works - but that's an "if" the tallness of the achromatic cliffs of Dover.

If Rishi Sunak delayed the wide predetermination until January 2025 - the past imaginable day - helium should beryllium capable to amusement nett migration has fallen significantly.

But it is intolerable to accidental from present that tens of thousands could ever beryllium achievable.

For much than a decennary successive Conservative-led governments person promised to chopped migration - erstwhile targeting a nett fig of little than 100,000.

Reacting to the caller ONS figures, the Prime Minister told ITV: "Numbers are excessively high, it's arsenic elemental arsenic that. And I privation to bring them down."

Asked whether migration was retired of control, Mr Sunak replied: "Well, no, I deliberation the numbers are conscionable excessively high."

The PM said measures enactment successful spot this week were "significant" and would bring levels down implicit time.

On Tuesday, the authorities announced it would tighten visa rules for overseas students to effort to chopped immigration.

From adjacent year, lone those connected post-graduate probe programmes volition beryllium capable to bring their families to the UK.

In the House of Commons, Labour's shadiness location caput Yvette Cooper said enactment fixed to Ukrainians and Hong Kongers has "unusually affected the figures".

"Net migration is much than doubly the level ministers were aiming for, and the asylum backlog is astatine a grounds precocious contempt Rishi Sunak promising to wide it this year," she said.

Ms Cooper criticised the authorities for failing to tackle skills shortages, particularly successful wellness and societal care, oregon to get radical backmost into enactment aft Covid.

Immigration curate Robert Jenrick said: "We privation British employers to focus… connected grooming British workers to capable these vacancies."

He added that helium disquieted precocious nett migration was placing "intolerable unit connected nationalist services, connected lodging proviso and connected our quality arsenic a state to integrate caller arrivals".

"What we bash privation to spot is universities focusing connected teaching and not connected inadvertently creating a backdoor to migration presumption here," helium added.

On the backlog of asylum claims, Downing Street said the authorities was focused connected reducing the fig of radical waiting and measures specified arsenic doubling the fig of lawsuit workers would "take clip to furniture in".