Net immigration to the UK fell 10% to 685,000.

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Official data to be secured by political parties ahead of the July 4 general election shows net migration to the UK fell 10% to 685,000 in 2023, but inflows remained well above historical averages.

The number of people entering the country to work exceeded the number coming to study last year, according to Office for National Statistics legal immigration figures.

The figures also show that the peak net migration in 2022 will be higher than expected, at 764,000. Net inflows for the year to June 2023 were also 68,000 higher than the estimate of 740,000.

Opinion polls show immigration is one of the top three issues concerning voters ahead of the election. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is under intense pressure from the right of his party to deliver on his Conservative Party pledge to reduce net immigration to the UK.

But economists warn that if the pledge is implemented, it could have serious consequences for universities, the health sector and the economy.

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Following the news, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced a crackdown on fraudulent recruiters encouraging people to apply to UK universities.

Under the plan, universities will be required to introduce new compliance standards for institutions hosting international students and sign up to a strict framework for recruiting agents. International students must also prove that they are financially self-sufficient when applying for a UK course.

It was cleverly said that the latest figures show the Government's plans were working but there was still more work to be done.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said the figures showed the Tories' immigration failures and confusion, with net immigration tripling since the last election and employment immigration up 50 per cent last year.

The ONS said it was too early to tell whether the modest decline in net migration was the start of a downward trend. But separate Home Office data shows visa applications have fallen in recent months following policy changes aimed at reducing numbers.

The decline in net migration over the past few years occurred before such measures were implemented and is partly due to increased migration as students completed their courses. Net immigration of EU and UK citizens also continued.

Humanitarian immigration also decreased from 160,000 in 2022 to 50,000 in 2023 as the number of people arriving from Ukraine and Hong Kong decreased.

The ONS said work-related arrivals from outside the EU currently dominate immigration, rising from 277,000 in 2022 to 423,000 in 2023.

Nearly half of the arrivals were from India or Nigeria, most commonly working in the health and social care sectors. The number of dependents of people who received long-term work visas was greater than the number of main applicants.

The ban on masters students bringing their families will begin in early 2024. Additional measures announced last December included higher pay standards for skilled workers and a ban on caregivers bringing dependents. It came into effect in March and April.

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The Home Office estimates that the policy change will reduce net immigration by around 300,000.

The number of people applying for UK visas to work in the health and social care sector or as dependents of students fell sharply in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year, Home Office data published on Wednesday showed.

But Brian Bell, chairman of the government's immigration advisory committee, warned earlier this month that the government risks overshooting its target if fewer students and care workers want to come to the UK without bringing their families.

Marley Morris, deputy director of the IPPR think tank, said this could threaten the financial survival of universities and their ability to recruit into the health sector. The reality is that no matter who wins the upcoming election, there are some difficult choices to be made about immigration, he said.

Professor Jonathan Ports of King's College London said the next government would inherit sharply declining immigration, which could ease political tensions around the issue but would have unpleasant consequences for the economy, labor market and public finances.

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