r/uknews

Britain is experiencing one of the sharpest falls in net migration on record — yet the vast majority of the public believes the opposite, according to new research published today.
New ONS data released today showed net migration at 171,00 for the year ending December 2025 – meaning it has halved in the last year and fallen by over three-quarters since its 2023 peak of over 900,000. It is projected to decline further to below 100,000 by the end of 2026 — levels not seen since the late 1990s (excluding the pandemic period).

But the latest findings from British Future’s annual Immigration Attitudes Tracker show that this shift has gone largely unnoticed by the public:

• Just 16% of people think migration fell in the past year.

• Half the public (49%) believe it increased, despite the sharp decline.

• Most people (51%) expect migration to rise again next year: just one in six think it will fall.

18-year-old Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed with a 21cm blade while walking home after a night out in Southampton. Prosecutors revealed his phone captured the start of the confrontation with 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who allegedly carried the weapon in a sheath around his neck.

Net migration to the UK fell by nearly 50% to 171,000 last year, according to official figures released on Thursday, in what will be seen as a boost for Keir Starmer’s government.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the difference between the number of people moving to the UK and the number of people leaving was at its lowest level since 2021.

The figure was down 48% year on year from 331,000 in 2024, extending a sharp decline from a record peak of 944,000 in 2023.

The figures will encourage government ministers who have promised to drive down the number of people moving to the UK. Migration has become a key political battleground against the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

The number of nationals from outside the EU arriving for work-related reasons fell by 47% in 2025, which was the main cause of the continued fall in net migration. Over the same period, overall emigration fell slightly.

An estimated 813,000 people immigrated to the UK while 642,000 emigrated. The continued fall in net migration was being driven by fewer people from outside the EU arriving in the UK for work, the ONS said.

ONS figures cover net migration figures in the 12 months to December 2025.

The Home Office is publishing its own figures on Thursday related to the 12-month period to March 2026.

Many people mistakenly believe net migration is rising in Britain despite figures dropping to their lowest level in years, a thinktank has found. Research from British Future, published ahead of latest government figures on migration, revealed a chasm between reality and public perception of net migration, with a substantial portion of the public believing it had increased.

Outside of covid this is the lowest net migration figure since 2012. Prior to 2012 this is the lowest migration figure since 2000.

Unprecedented employment tribunal service delays in England and Wales mean people bringing unfair dismissal claims are waiting up to five years for their case to be heard.

Expert lawyers say there must now be radical change if there is to be justice for both claimants and the companies involved.

One of those affected is Catriona Ball, whose husband Lewis died in 2024, weeks after he quit a job he believed had been making him ill.

After his death, she lodged a claim at the Employment Tribunal for constructive unfair dismissal and an alleged failure to make reasonable adjustments for disability. His former employer is contesting the claim.

This story is not about what went on between him and the company and who's right or wrong - but how long it will take to resolve the case.

Catriona filed the claim in February 2025, but the case will not come before a judge for a full hearing and judgment until 2029.

Data analysed by The Fuller Project and openDemocracy reveal that British far-right political parties and influencers – including Reform UK – are taking inspiration from the United States and seeking to turn abortion into a new front in the culture wars.

At a time when Nigel Farage’s party has made sweeping gains in the local elections, our analysis of almost 80 Reform, Reform-supporting, and far-right X accounts found that between April 2024 and April 2026, mentions of abortion increased by 40% compared to the previous two years.

This is despite a new law coming into force at the end of April 2026 which prevents women in England and Wales from facing a criminal investigation for having an abortion, and despite high public support for abortion across the UK.