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Net migration to UK drops by 49,000

Net migration to the UK has reduced by 49,000 with 273,000 people migrating to the UK in the year to September, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown. The ONS said the figure is the first time net migration has dipped below 300,000 in two years, but is short of the government's target for net migration under 100,000 The statistics recorded the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving. It cited immigration at 596,000 - comprising of 268,000 EU citizens, 257,000 non-EU citizens and 71,000 British citizens. This included 74,000 Romanians and Bulgarians. The data also showed that around 323,000 people are estimated to have left the UK in the year to September, up by 26,000 on the 12 months to September 2015. Of the people leaving Britain, 128,000 were British citizens, along with 103,000 EU citizens and 93,000 non-EU citizens. Commenting on the figures, Nicola White, head of International Migration Statistics for the ONS, said: “Although net migration in the year to September 2016 has not seen a statistically significant change, we have seen a statistically significant decrease in net migration among EU8 citizens and non-EU citizens from Africa, the Americas and Oceania. “This is the first release to contain long-term international migration estimates including three months of data following the EU referendum. Although we have seen a fall in net migration of EU8 citizens there have been continued increases in immigration from Romania and Bulgaria, so it is too early to say what effect the referendum result has had on long-term international migration. “There has been a statistically significant decrease in non-EU long-term students immigrating to the UK while a small increase was seen in the number of study visas issued. It is too early to tell if this is an indication of a long-term trend.”

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