London, Thanasis Gavos

THE net number of immigrants which they arrived at United Kingdom in the 12 months to June 2023 it was 672,000, according to official figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It would have been a record annual tally, however the ONS also announced that it had significantly revised up the net number of migrant arrivals for the full 12 months of 2022, from 606,000 to 745,000.

Consequently, this year’s figures show a decrease in the migration flow to the country. “While it is too early to say whether this is the start of a new downward trend, these latest estimates show a slowdown in migration to the country combined with an increase in migrant flight,” the ONS said.

Based on the data, immigrant arrivals in the country between July ’22 – June ’23 amounted to nearly 1.2 million people, while 508,000 left the country.

The overwhelming majority of arrivals, namely 968,000, were citizens of countries outside the European Union, a trend that has been consolidated since Brexit.

Of these, most (278,000) came to Britain to work, while 263,000 came to study.

New European immigrants to the UK were 129,000, while 84,000 British returned home.

Already MPs from the right wing of the ruling Conservative Party, such as former minister Simon Clarke, have hit back saying it is “economically and socially unsustainable” for the number of immigrants to be so high.