The number of non-EU citizens “arriving for work-related reasons fell by 47% in 2025, which was the main reason for the continued fall in net migration”, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The latest figures, which are the lowest since early 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic according to the ONS, follow tougher measures introduced by successive governments for those applying for work visas in recent years.

The ONS estimated the figure for net migration – the difference between the numbers of people arriving in the UK and those leaving – at 171,000, down from 331,000 at the end of 2024.

The UK population currently stands at around 70 million.

The last Conservative government, ousted by Starmer’s Labour Party in July 2024, toughened up work visa rules, raising salary thresholds and refusing permission for people to bring their families with them.

The drop in legal migration, however, comes as undocumented migrants continue to arrive on UK shores.

More than 200,000 migrants have arrived in small boats since records began in 2018, interior ministry statistics showed earlier this month.

The tally came as the hard-right party Reform UK surged in local elections dominated by national issues, including immigration, on May 7.

Last year, a total of 41,472 migrants landed on England’s southern shore after making the dangerous crossing from northern France.

Starmer is increasingly under pressure over the issue which is expected to feature prominently in a high-stakes by-election in northern England next month which could determine the future of his premiership.