UK net migration lowest in three years

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON

Net migration to the U.K. dropped to 246,000 in the year ending March 2017, the lowest level in last three years, according to official statistics.

The drop was caused by the emigration of around 33,000 EU citizens since March 2016, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released on Thursday. Migration from EU states also fell by 51,000, the lowest level since 2013.

The yearly net immigration of almost quarter of a million is still above the U.K. government’s pledge of bringing the figure down to fewer than 100,000 per annum.

Among the EU citizens who left the country in the past year, 17,000 are from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Uncertainty due to Brexit and the future status of EU citizens in the U.K. are thought to be behind the departures.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa May described as “unfortunate” around 100 letters sent by the Home Office to some EU residents warning them they could be liable for “detention”.

The letters were sent in error, it was later reported.

The British public decided to leave the European Union in June 2016, after 44 years of membership.

The rights of EU citizens living in the U.K. and of Britons residing in EU states are one of the key points of Brexit talks, which will resume next week in Brussels.

Nicola White, head of international migration statistics at the ONS, said: “We have seen a fall in net migration driven by an increase in emigration, mainly for EU citizens and in particular EU8 citizens, and a decrease in immigration across all groups.”

The U.K. government previously said eligible EU citizens who stayed in the country for a certain time would be able to remain in the U.K. but have asked for a reciprocal approach for British citizens living in the EU member states.