The number of migrants in Britain in the year to June 2025 was 204,000, which is two-thirds less than a year earlier, and it is on a downward trend, which is associated with a stricter immigration policy, writes Reuters.
Both legal and illegal migration have been at the forefront of current issues in British politics for more than a decade, and governments have tried various ways to reduce the number of immigrants. To counter pressure from Nigel Farage’s populist Reform Party, the Labour government has continued to develop a stricter immigration policy. Farage uses the rhetoric of limiting migration in his campaigns, and his party is currently leading in the opinion polls.
Despite the drop in migration,
the public still sees immigration as a major national problem,
and the think tank British Future has noted that the main cause of concern is immigrants illegally crossing the English Channel from France in small boats to claim asylum in the UK. The think tank noted that those who want to reduce migration are also the same people who are not aware that it has already fallen and are likely to mistakenly believe that the number of migrants is increasing.
The British government announced significant reforms this month, including granting temporary refugee status, speeding up the deportation process for those who have entered illegally, and extending the period required to apply for citizenship to ten years.
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