Sir Keir Starmer has praised the significant reduction in net migration, asserting that the government is 'delivering' on its commitment to border control. In a post on X, the Prime Minister highlighted that net migration has plummeted by 82 percent, stating: 'I promised to restore control to our borders. My government is delivering.' He added that further measures are planned, including a skills-based migration system that rewards contributions and reduces reliance on cheap overseas labour.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the Birmingham MP, echoed these sentiments, emphasising that Labour is 'restoring order and control to our borders.' She noted that net migration now stands at 171,000, a dramatic decrease from the peak of 944,000 recorded under the previous Conservative government.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the decline is primarily driven by fewer arrivals from outside the European Union, particularly for work purposes. Sarah Crofts, deputy director of the ONS, explained that while emigration numbers show early signs of falling, it is too soon to determine if this trend will persist.
Home Office data also reveals a 12 percent drop in asylum claims, with 93,525 people applying during the year from April 2025 to March 2026. However, this figure remains more than double pre-pandemic levels. The number of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels while awaiting decisions has fallen to 20,885, down from 30,657 in December 2025 and a peak of 56,000 in September 2023.
The government's actions are part of a broader strategy to manage immigration, with plans to create 50,000 advanced manufacturing jobs in the West Midlands, as reported in a related article.
