Migration Watch UK responds to net migration figures

May 26, 2024

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that net migration for calendar year 2023 was 685,000.

Immigration continuing on this scale will lead to population increases totally beyond our capacity to provide the housing, services and amenities needed. Existing strains and stresses on infrastructure and services will be made worse. While the resulting rapid demographic change will impact the nature of our society and ancient communities and make integration nigh on impossible.

Migration Watch UK were right to call for urgent action to reduce net migration to well below 100,000, by imposing a cap on immigration, in our latest briefing paper. A cap is the only way to control immigration.

Commenting, Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said:

These net migration figures are the latest evidence of a massive, and avoidable, policy mistake. We warned the government that they would rue the day they introduced the scandalously loose points-based system. They chose to listen to vested interests instead. The next government must quickly get a grip of out-of control immigration, introduce a cap and reduce the present, catastrophically high immigration levels.

Note to Editors

• The net migration figure for 2022 has been revised up to 764,000.
• Net migration in this parliament has been just over 2 million people added to our population.
• The total inflow has added up to 4 million people.
• ONS projections show a UK population increase of 6.6 million by 2036 of which 6.1 million (92%) will be due to immigration.
• Annual net migration of 600,000 will mean a projected population increase of 20 million people by 2046.
• Annual net migration of 350,000 will lead to a projected population increase of 9 million people.
• Respectively, the equivalent of 14 and 8 cities the size of Birmingham.
• A child born today to an indigenous British couple would be in a minority in the country of his or her parents by the time they reached their forties.
• Surveys have found that 80% of the public want net migration below 100,000 a year.