UnHerd with Freddie Sayers The truth about net immigration
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Dec 2, 2025 Madeleine Sumption, Director at the Migration Observatory, dissects the recent sharp decline in UK net migration. She challenges the narrative of a British exodus, clarifying that many emigrants are former immigrants returning home. Analyzing ONS data, Madeleine explains the surge and fall in migration numbers and the impact of recent policy changes. She also delves into the demographics of who is leaving and highlights potential flaws in migration measurement, calling for better data tracking to understand these shifts.
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Net Migration Has Collapsed
- Net migration to the UK has fallen sharply from nearly one million to about 204,000 in the year to June 2025.
- This dramatic drop is a robust headline finding with major political implications.
Policies Drove The Surge And Fall
- Post-Brexit policy changes and later restrictions drove immigration to triple and then collapse again.
- The year ending June 2025 is the first full year after many restrictions were bedded in.
The Composition Of Migration Changed
- Composition of migrants shifted from mostly EU workers to mostly non-EU work and study migrants.
- Numbers may return to pre-Brexit volume but the origin mix remains very different.