MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Net migration to the United Kingdom for the year ending (YE) March 2017 was 246,000, the lowest net migration estimate since the year ending March 2014, the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Thursday.
"The Long-Term International Migration (LTIM) net migration estimate (the difference between immigration and emigration) for the year ending (YE) March 2017 was +246,000, compared with +327,000 in YE March 2016. This 81,000 difference was statistically significant and is the lowest recorded net migration estimate since YE March 2014," the ONS report read.
The report went on to say that the latest immigration estimate of 558,000 was the lowest since YE June 2014, while the emigration estimate of 342,000 was the highest recorded since YE September 2012.
"More than half of the fall in net migration is accounted for by a statistically significant decrease of 51,000 for EU citizens, for whom net migration has decreased to the lowest since YE December 2013," the ONS said.
The United Kingdom is in the process of negotiating the terms of its exit from the European Union, with the freedom of movement, control over borders and the rights of EU nationals in the United Kingdom and vice versa on the list of the most important issues.
