Migration drop shows impact of Brexit

The fall in net migration shown by the latest ONS statistics confirms the impact of Brexit, according to Jonathan Portes, professor of economics and public policy at King’s College, London.

Portes said that his research has shown that Brexit is likely to lead to a large fall in EU migration to the UK, with a significant negative impact on the UK economy. He added: “The migration statistics show a significant fall in net migration, with the largest single component being a rise in EU nationals leaving the UK. Net migration from the ‘A8’ countries, which joined the EU in 2004, is now statistically insignificant for the first time since then. These statistics confirm that Brexit is having a significant impact on migration flows, even before we have left the EU or any changes are made to law or policy. EU nationals, both those already here and those considering a move to the UK, are understandably concerned about their future status in the UK.”

Portes added that HMRC also published new statistics on tax credit claims and tax paid by EEA nationals, which show that “benefit tourism” is a myth, because less than 2% of tax credit expenditure is paid to recently arrived EEA nationals.