But why did we suddenly need so many professionals from non-EU countries then? The numbers coming in after 2020 for quite a few years ( from EU and non-EU) were considerably more than the numbers who were coming in prior ( from non-EU and EU) to that point?It certainly looks like the flood gates were further opened in 2020 if you look at the graphs in:https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/long-term-international-migration-flows-to-and-from-the-uk/ You've mentioned you don't open links Steve, so I'll cut and paste a section of what's written in the "briefing" but the information is a lot easier to read in the original onlimne article ( and you can easily change the graphs to show net migration or immigration)This briefing covers the scale of immigration and net migration in the UK since the early 2000s and under the post-Brexit immigration system.Key PointsThe UK has experienced broadly similar levels of migration compared to other high-income countries, on average, over the past few decades. The share of migrants in the population is higher than in Japan or Denmark, and lower than Ireland or Canada.More…Net migration was 171,000 in 2025, lower than the levels seen during the 2010s and a sharp decline from the unusually high levels in 2022 and 2023. In 2025, 67% of non-EU immigration was for work and study purposes.More…EU citizens made up a majority of immigration and net migration in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum. Since 2022, however, EU net migration has been negative, according to official estimates, with 42,000 more people leaving than arriving in 2025.More…While the emigration of international students has been rising, they have become more likely to stay in the UK since Brexit, contributing more to net migration than they had done in the past.More…There is net emigration of British citizens, with more leaving than returning. In 2025, this was estimated at 136,000, although the figures are highly uncertain. This is higher than previously published figures due to a change in methodology. There is not currently any evidence that emigration has increased since 2022, although fewer Brits are returning to the UK.More…Projections of future net migration are inherently uncertain. In the past 20 years, official projections have usually underestimated future net migration levels.More…Understanding the PolicyThe scale of UK migration is affected by immigration policies but also depends on other factors such as the state of the economy here and in countries of origin, demand for international study opportunities, and events and crises around the world. ... Click to read more.Understanding the EvidenceBroadly speaking, there are three main measures of the scale of migration to the UK: ... Click to read more.How do migration levels in the UK compare to those in other countries?Migration levels fluctuate from year to year, but over long periods, a useful measure of how much immigration a country has experienced is the size of the foreign-born population as a percentage of the population. Countries with high levels of net migration—defined as people immigrating minus those emigrating—develop larger foreign-born or migrant populations over the long run.According to ONS estimates, 19% of the UK’s population was foreign-born in June 2024, similar to shares in Spain and Germany (Figure 1). The UK had a smaller foreign-born population than Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. By contrast, the UK had a higher share of foreign-born people in its population compared to France, the United States, and most Eastern European countries, and a much higher share than Japan. Note, however, that the foreign-born shares reported for some countries shown in Figure 1 are based on survey data that underestimate the migrant population due to survey non-response.Figure 1The scale of migration to a country may have some economic impact, but research suggests that for many economic impacts, the composition of migration is more important than the numbers alone. Whether migrants are working and what skills and qualifications they bring are among the key factors that affect the impact of migration on public finances and productivity, for example. For more discussion of the economic impacts of migration, see the Migration Observatory briefings, The Fiscal Impacts of Immigration in the UK, and The Labour Market Effects of Immigration.Return to topHow many migrants came to the UK in 2025?Net migration is a commonly used measure of the overall scale of migration in the UK. It takes into account not just people moving to the country, but also those leaving. This helps understand migration’s contribution to population growth—especially since many people who move to the UK do not remain here permanently. However, the net migration measure also has flaws. For example, it tells us little about who is arriving and leaving or what their impacts are. It can also produce counterintuitive or misleading figures when migration patterns change substantially in a short period, as discussed further below. The UK is unusual in its choice to use net migration in policy debates as the main measure for discussing migration levels. See the Migration Observatory commentary, Net Migration: Frequently Asked Questions, for more information.Estimates from the Office for National Statistics suggest that total net migration was 171,000 in 2025. This figure is lower than net migration levels during the 2010s and represents a sharp decline compared to the year ending March 2023, when net migration peaked at a historical high of 944,000 (Figure 2).
Andrew Jones ● 7d