EU Net Migration to U.K. Falls to Lowest Level Since 2003
EU Net Migration to U.K. Falls to Lowest Level Since 2003
Net migration to the U.K. from the European Union fell to its lowest level since 2003 in the year through June, preliminary Office for National Statistics estimates published Thursday show.
The largest decline over the past year was among citizens of the so-called EU8 countries -- those which joined the bloc in 2004 -- the ONS said. Overall immigration from the region was at its lowest level since 2013 as fewer EU nationals moved to the U.K. for work.
The EU data does not account for the large expansion in the size of the bloc over the past 16 years.
Immigration emerged as a flash point in the U.K.’s 2016 Brexit vote and the Dec. 12 election has brought fresh focus on the issue. While some argue that freedom of movement with the trading bloc has harmed Britons’ own job prospects, business groups argue that capping entry will lead to skills shortages, especially in the health care and construction sectors.
“Focusing only on the ‘brightest and best’ misses the point, as shortages already exist at all skill levels against the backdrop of record employment,” said Matthew Fell, the CBI’s chief U.K. policy director. “To build new homes and schools, we don’t just need architects and engineers, but bricklayers and plumbers too.”
It’s a different story for those coming from the rest of the world, which continues to see higher inflows. While study remains the bigger driver of immigration, the data also show the number of non-EU citizens arriving for a definite job has increased since 2013, fueled by an increase in the number of arrivals from Asia, which has more than doubled since the year ended June 2017.
To contact the reporter on this story: Lucy Meakin in London at lmeakin1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Gordon at pgordon6@bloomberg.net, David Goodman, Zoe Schneeweiss
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