The number of EU citizens going to live in the UK has fallen year-on-year, but the number of immigrants arriving to live in the country has remained broadly the same.
The latest Office for National Statistics data shows that 219,000 European Union citizens arrived to live in the UK in the 12 months to June 2018. In the same period 145,000 left. This means the EU net-migration rate is the lowest it has been since 2012.
The Polish population, which is easily the most common second nationality in the UK, declined significantly in this period. The figures show that 36,000 Poles left the UK during this period, shrinking the UK’s Polish population to 985,000.
The ONS report said that the decline in EU immigration “has been driven by a decrease in EU8 immigration [which includes Poland], particularly for work, and an increase in emigration over the last two years.
However, nationals of 14 longer-term European Union member states, such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain, continue to add to the UK population with net migration of 47,000. Yet while the EU population may have fallen, overall migration levels stayed fairly high, with total net-migration of 273,000 in the year to June 2018.
The ONS said that this is because more Asian citizens had been moving to the UK for work.
Migration to Britain from outside the EU is currently at its highest level for 14 years,
Article published 30th November 2018